


The Demon King's Perfect Companion

by fruitsudans



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: A Demon/Soulmate AU, CH11 is NSFW, CH19 is NSFW, CH6 is NSFW, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Mild Torture and Violence, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-04-19 08:34:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 52,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14233395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fruitsudans/pseuds/fruitsudans
Summary: Demon King Kaito Kuroba hears of a threat to his rule. When he seeks it, he doesn't expect to find his other half.A Demon/Soulmate! AU.





	1. The King's Creation

**Author's Note:**

> Wow something not Fate related? What?! 
> 
> Here's a Demon/Soulmate AU that I've been working on for a while. The main inspiration for this fic was actually from Fate's (No surprise) GilKidu ship. And I changed it to KaiShin. 
> 
> This will eventually have explicit scenes. Tags/Rating will be updated when it comes. 
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys! Leave a kudos/comment if you'd like! I'd love to know your thoughts.

Kaito Kuroba has been the king of the underworld for only a short time, but his rule would be one that historians would revere for all ages. On his first day alone, he crushed thousands of demons who were opposed to his rule and established his dominance in both power and intelligence. No demon dared to challenge his supremacy.

Well until now at least.

Rumors of a super weapon being made against him were being spread. There was no way Kaito would let anyone finish something like that.

This is what led Kaito and his top general on an expedition to the Yied Desert where the cultists who were supposedly making the super weapon were said to be hiding. 

* * *

“Hell it’s hot. Why are deserts hot?” This complaint came from King Kaito Kuroba, a devil-class demon. The heat was making his tail twitch and his cape was causing heat to build up underneath. It was beginning to irritate his great, bat-like wings that he kept tucked under the cape. Kaito swiped at his forehead. Sweat dripped onto his grand horns that swirled like a ram's. He hated this damn desert.

The fellow devil accompanying the king rolled his eyes. “Quit your complaining. You knew fully well we would be trekking through a desert, yet you're still wearing your king regalia.”

The king snorted at his general’s unfortunately true statement.

“I gotta let these miscreants know who they're pissing off. They'll totally recognize the emblem of the king. Then they'll regret it.” Kaito smirked. Oh they'll pay. Conspiring against the king was a Grade A offense.

The general rolled his eyes and sighed. The king was an immature handful at times.

After walking for a few more moments, they finally reached their destination as they walked into a force field.

Kaito tapped the invisible force field, making it pulse. “Found it~ Alrighty stand back.” Cracking his knuckles, Kaito flexed his hand and punched the field in front of him. In a matter of seconds, cracks began appearing and the force field shattered revealing a village with a temple in the background.

“Alright Hakuba, go ahead and raze the village. I want no survivors. The temple is mine though. Meet with me there.”

The general nodded and ran ahead of the king. Kaito kept his focus on the temple.

“Now if I were a secret weapon, where would I be hidden?”

* * *

Ignoring the screams of dying villagers, Kaito calmly walked towards the stone temple. Two villagers armed with pikes attempted to stop Kaito, but they were no match for the king’s magic. Kaito pushed their bodies to the side as he opened the temple doors. Kaito waved away some dust and peered at the dark hallway.

“Hello~ Anybody home?”

He was met with silence. Shrugging, Kaito continued into the temple. As he went deeper in, torches began to illuminate his path. Several paintings were etched on the wall, with the main motif being some sort of white oval.

As Kaito walked further in, he began to pick up hurried voices. It seems they found out he infiltrated their home.

The end of the hallway led to another set of stone doors. Kaito pushed the stone doors and was met with quite the sight. Several demons were armed with lances and staves, all pointed at Kaito. The weapons weren't what held Kaito’s attention. In the middle of the room was an altar that held an enormous egg. Kaito assumed that the white oval he saw in the hallways must've been what was in front of him.

Kaito turned to see that the demons were beginning to rush at him. He sidestepped and shot out a blast of air to knock all of them down.

“How naughty. Hiding something like this from me.”

One villager with a grand headpiece came forward with a steel pike.

“You have no right to be here in this sacred ground! Get out of here.” He pointed the pike towards Kaito’s neck. Kaito stared down at the villager until he bursted out laughing.

“Wow you really think I'm scared of you or something? I can see you trembling where you stand.”

The villager’s grip on the pike wavered and Kaito took the chance to grab the pike and throw it across the room and strike the egg. The villagers all simultaneously gasped as the egg visibly cracked.

“No! Our hard efforts!”

“Protect it! Kill the king!”

Kaito dashed forward to strike at the demons in front of him. He dispatched the villagers quickly without breaking a sweat.

“Phew. Didn't think that would be so easy.”

A hand grabbed at Kaito’s ankle. Kaito looked down to see an injured female demon attempting to claw at him. He freed his leg and stepped on the head of the woman, inciting a painful wail.

“Hmm? Still resisting huh? What can you even accomplish in your current state?”

The woman glared up in defiance at the king. “You will not hurt our sacred treasure. Not on my life.”

Kaito snorted. “Well that can be taken care of.” Kaito increased the pressure on the woman’s head until her screaming stopped.

“Ah, silence. I love it. Now, where was I?” Kaito skipped up to the altar where the egg was. As he approached the egg, he didn't realize it was enormous until he was right in front of it. The egg was big enough to hold an entire demon in it. Kaito picked at the crack he made earlier and found that the shell was easy to remove. When he removed some shell pieces, a voice entered his head.

_Hello. Who are you?_

“Ah, you must be the super weapon. I'm Kaito Kuroba, a regular king of demons. I'm here to destroy you. Sorry about this.”

_I see. Is my existence...a hindrance? The other voices used to say I was salvation._

“Salvation? I guess. They wanted to use you for something selfish. In fact, they wanted to use you against me.”

_Against you? The demon king?_

“Yes. So I punished them. They won't be worshipping you anymore. Sorry about that.”

_That's fine. Their praises were meaningless. This is the first time I've had a true conversation with anyone before._

Kaito found himself smiling at the egg. For something who was minutes away from dying, it seemed quite calm.

“By the way, what are you? A chicken or something?”

_I have no corporeal form as of yet. The villagers said they would reach out for me when the time was right._

“Reach out? You mean literally? Well, I guess this is the best time...since, y’know...”

The voice laughed and Kaito couldn't help but feel a little guilty at what he was about to do.

_It's alright. I accept my fate Kaito Kuroba._

Stepping back a bit, Kaito punched through the fragile shell of the egg. Fragments of the shell scattered around the altar, leaving only the other half of the shell intact. What Kaito didn't expect was something to grab onto his hand.

“W-what the hell?”

A glowing white aura was wrapped around his fist. Soon the white faded and a regular hand was left. Kaito slowly followed the dissolving light. The light receded to form more limbs and eventually a body and face. On top of brown hair were two small horns and Kaito saw a slim, leathery tail flit around from the side. Kaito felt that the face of the new figure looked familiar, but what caught his eye the most were clear blue eyes. Kaito couldn't help but fall into the azure pools. Something in Kaito’s chest lurched and all he could feel was the need to protect and nurture the being in front of him. How could he have ever thought of harming such a wonderful creature? Kaito almost wanted to kill his past self for even considering it.

“Is something the matter Kaito Kuroba?”

Oh great hell, even their voice was rapture to Kaito’s ears. Kaito felt an uncontrollable grin begin to form on his face.

"I think I've changed my mind. Super weapon or not, I think I'll claim you as mine now. You aren't allowed to reject this proposal.”

The demon tilted their head in confusion. It was one of the cutest things that Kaito has ever seen. Kaito held back the urge to just bring the demon into his arms and hold him forever.

“Claim?" questioned the demon, "So I'm yours now?”

Kaito definitely liked the sound of that. Kaito removed the cape of the demon king from his back and wrapped it around the naked demon.

“Yes. You're mine now. Don't worry, I am yours as well. I feel that we were meant to be. So what's your name dear?”

The demon pouted as he held together the cape to cover himself. “I was never given a name. The villagers said that when the time was right I would be given one.”

“Lucky me then,” Kaito said as he picked up the other bridal style, “I'll name you Shinichi then. Cute right? Do you like it?”

“Shi-ni-chi.” The sound of Kaito’s new mate trying out the new name felt like a symphonic orchestra to Kaito’s ears. “It's nice. Thank you.”

Kaito smiled down at Shinichi. 

“Then it's settled Shinichi. You're coming home with me then.”

Shinichi smiled at Kaito and Kaito felt a strange warmth going through him.

“That's alright with me Kaito. I would go anywhere with you.”

* * *

Hakuba was getting starting to get nauseous from the smoke of the surrounding area. He did as the king asked and razed down the secret village, leaving no survivors. Now he was sitting by the entrance to the village, hopefully not getting any sand in his pants.

Well since the king was taken his sweet time, Hakuba leaned against the pillar he was by and began to close his eyes. A short rest wouldn't hurt.

Some time later, Hakuba heard the crunching of sand behind him. He opened his eyes.

“About time you arrived. I was afraid these savages actually killed you or something.” Hakuba stood up and stretched. He heard a small chuckle from the king.

“They barely even grazed me.”

“Of course they didn't,” mused Hakuba, “otherwise you would be a terrible example of a king. So, what kind of weapon were they hiding? A cursed sword? A spell?” Hakuba turned to finally face his king and saw the bundle in his arms. “And just who the hell is that?”

The king grinned. “Meet the super weapon: Shinichi. I'm taking him home with us. Do you have any spare clothes by the way? I don't want him to get cold.” Kaito looked down at the demon he was carrying with such fondness that Hakuba felt sick.

“Are you serious? That's the super weapon? ...Why does he look so much like you?”

Kaito shrugged. “I don't care, he's adorable! Just look at his eyes! And his cute little nose! And these lips! Ahhh he's perfect."

The demon in Kaito’s arms just looked at Hakuba with curiosity. Then he waved at the general.

“Hello. My name is Shinichi. It's nice to meet you.”

Hakuba frowned and gave a deadpan stare. The demon shifted uncomfortably in Kaito’s arms.

“If you are really curious, I believe the main reason I share features with Kaito is because he was the first to reach out to me. My form is probably a result of his mana influence and desires.”

Hakuba wasn't going to buy any of this demon’s farce. He unsheathed his blade and pointed it at Shinichi. Kaito shot his general a chilling glare as he spread his wings to cover Shinichi.

“Hakuba,” Kaito said with a hollow voice, “just what the hell do you think you're doing?”

“Doing what you should've done earlier: destroying whatever _that_ is.”

Shinichi only stared at the sword as Kaito shifted away from Hakuba.

“I told you: he's coming home with us. I will not allow you to harm him.”

Hakuba scoffed. “How do you know he's not going to stab you in the back? That's what he was made for right? That's literally the reason we’re out in this hell-forsaken desert.”

“If you harm Shinichi I will never forgive your actions.”

The seriousness in Kaito’s eyes caused Hakuba to falter and slowly sheathe his sword.

“Fine then. If he stabs you in the middle of the night, don't say I didn't warn you my liege.”

Kaito smirked at his general’s badly disguised concern. He lowered his wings and let his head chin rest on top of Shinichi's head.

“Don't worry, Shinichi would never do that. Right Shinichi?”

Shinichi nodded and Kaito shot him another stupid grin. Hakuba was feeling nauseous at all this mush.

“If you two are ready, then we should return to the palace. I don't trust Lady Akako running the palace for long.”

“Aw, Akako wouldn't let the palace fall, she's great. But you're right, let's get going. It's hot.”

Shinichi looked up at Kaito with a look full of curiosity. “Is your home far from here?” Kaito nodded and readjusted his grip on Shinichi.

“Yeah sorta. But we’ll get there quickly. I don't want you to get cold.”

Hakuba hoped he didn't have to deal with flirting the entire way home.

* * *

The trio decided to make camp once they finished crossing the desert. The palace was still a day’s walk, so they thought it would be best to rest for tomorrow’s trek. As Shinichi slept, the general decided to finally interrogate his king.

“So are we not going to discuss your blatant narcissism?”

Kaito smiled down at Shinichi who was silently dozing on Kaito’s lap.

“I honestly don't know what you're speaking of Hakuba.”

“He literally looks just like you. Face, build, features. Minus the horns I suppose.”

“Are you really that blind Hakuba? Shinichi has the clearest blue eyes, the cutest nose, and a slimmer build than me.” Kaito ran his fingers through Shinichi’s hair. “He’s so perfect. And all mine.”

Hakuba stayed silent for a moment. Then he threw another fire spell at their makeshift campfire.

“I worry you know. His appearance must have some sort of explanation. If he ever harms you—”

“Shinichi would never,” interjected Kaito, “I trust him.”

“You met him _literally hours ago_.”

"Just trust me Hakuba. Shinichi is worthy of your trust. You'll see.”

Hakuba frowned. It seemed his king was too smitten to see the possible consequences that could await him.


	2. Welcome to the Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the positive comments! They really mean a lot! Everyone is so excited for this fic, I just hope I don't disappoint everyone. Well, here's chapter 2. Mostly plot here.

After finally convincing Hakuba to loan Shinichi some spare clothes, the three demons continued their trek to the palace. Kaito wanted to return by sundown, so they left their campsite at the break of dawn.

As they ventured past the desert area, Shinichi asked for permission to walk himself, which meant that the two had to keep a close eye on their very curious companion. Shinichi would often stare at the scenery for too long and get left behind. He later apologized with “the most sincerest eyes” according to Kaito.

“I'm sorry, it's just that the outside world is so new to me. Everything was just darkness before,” Shinichi said with the most bashful look on his face.

At that point, even Hakuba felt a little bad for him and the king decided that they would walk a little slower for Shinichi’s sake.

Midway through the walk, Shinichi asked Kaito many questions about the kingdom he ruled and Kaito patiently answered all of them.

“So are you the king of the entire world?”

Hakuba snorted and Kaito chuckled before reaching out to grab Shinichi’s hand to intertwine their fingers and pull the other closer.

“Not the entire underworld. I do control a sizable portion of it.”

“Is it hard to be a king?”

“Slightly. There are some annoyances, but I do my best to overcome any obstacles in my path.”

“I see. Is there a lot of people in your palace?”

“I suppose. There’s the knights led by Hakuba, some scholars, servants, others.”

Shinichi paused and bit his lip before shyly asking, “Do you think the people at the palace will like me? Hakuba doesn't.”

Hakuba choked on his spit as Kaito sent a sharp glare at him, before turning back to Shinichi and tightening his grip on the other’s hand.

“My dearest Shinichi, I'll make sure you feel right at home at the palace. I'm sure everyone will like you...well not as much as me of course. I definitely love you the most and I'll destroy anyone who challenges me.”

After that small consolation, Shinichi looked at Kaito with a small smile. “Thank you Kaito.”

* * *

Shinichi stared in awe at Kaito’s palace. From a distance, Shinichi was only able to see a few of the towers, but now he could see several towers and spires on different floors of the enormous palace. Shinichi held on tighter to Kaito’s hand as they entered through the front gate. Several guards bowed in reverence to the king, but Kaito just simply waved and smiled back. Shinichi waved at a few of the guards, but only got confused stares in return. He sidled closer to Kaito, feeling anxious at all of the attention.

As they entered the main hallway, Kaito stopped and put a comforting hand on Shinichi’s shoulder.

“Are you alright dear? You’ve been quiet for a bit.”

“I think I'm okay. There's a lot of people here and they're more than just voices. I suppose I'm just used to you and Hakuba.”

From the side, Hakuba rolled his eyes at the two.

“Please postpone your flirting until after we’ve met up with everyone else.”

“Fine fine. Come on Shinichi,” Kaito said while grabbing Shinichi’s hand, “I'll introduce you to everyone don't worry.”

The trio finally reached the throne room where a dark-haired female dressed in red sage robes was sitting cross-legged on one of the two ornately decorated thrones. Next to the woman was a feline-like demon yelling. The woman on the throne ignored the other and continued to file her nails with a rather bored looking face.

“Akako! How many times have I told you to not sit on the throne? Kaito's going to be really mad if he sees you there...again!”

“Oh please Aoko. He’s not coming back anytime soon.”

From where he was standing, Shinichi could see an irritated look blooming on Kaito’s face. It seemed that this was a repeating occurrence. 

“Damn it Akako! Get off my throne!”

Slightly startled, Akako jumped a bit before standing up for a curtsy. Aoko laughed at the rare occurrence of Akako being surprised, causing Akako to pout. The women walked towards the trio and Akako smiled at the king.

“Welcome back my king. I see you have successfully dealt with the weapon in Yied Desert.” She looked Shinichi over with a critical eye and Shinichi shivered at the attention. Akako smirked at the nervous demon. "And just who are you little one? You bear a striking resemblance to a certain king of ours." Shinichi gulped but wasn't able to respond as Aoko rushed to Hakuba and jumped into his arms.

“I'm glad you're all home safe,” said Aoko, placing a kiss on Hakuba’s cheek, “but who's the new addition? A straggler from the desert?”

Shinichi retreated behind Kaito, hiding behind the king’s great wings. Kaito felt elated as he felt Shinichi burrowing his face into his back right between his shoulder blades. The king's tail wrapped around the other's tail to comfort him.

“My dear, please don't be shy. This is your new family now. Come and introduce yourself.” Akako and Aoko watched as the shy demon slowly peered over Kaito’s shoulder and gave them a small wave.

“H-hello. I'm Shinichi.” 

The small greeting melted the hearts of the two girls as Shinichi owlishly blinked and returned to his spot behind Kaito. Kaito only felt sheer happiness at the contact.

"As you can see, Shinichi is quite shy. Please welcome my new lover warmly." The girls gasped at the king's declaration and quickly understood the significance of their new visitor.

Akako smirked at the sight, “I am Lady Akako, the kingdom’s one and only Grand Mage. It's a pleasure Shinichi. You must be quite the person to attain the heart of our king.”

Trying not to be as intimidating as Akako, Aoko softly smiled and waved, “And I'm Aoko! Handler of Domestic Affairs. It's so nice to meet you Shinichi.” She held out a hand for a handshake but Shinichi still felt apprehensive.

Hakuba rolled his eyes as he kept a hand on Aoko’s shoulder. “Don't be fooled Aoko, that thing is the damned weapon from the desert.” Aoko gasped and Akako raised an eyebrow.

“No way! He looks like he couldn't hurt a fly, let alone Kaito!” Aoko exclaimed. She couldn't believe what her husband just said as the supposed 'weapon' was giving her one of the most innocent looks she had ever seen. Hakuba had to be lying.

Hakuba gestured at the Shinichi. “I believe it's all a farce to bring our guards down. Lady Akako, what do you say? What aura does it emit?”

Akako hummed as she flipped some of her long dark hair over her shoulder. “I sense no maliciousness from them. I say they're absolutely harmless. If I sensed anything out of the ordinary, they wouldn't have been able to enter the throne room.”

Hakuba sputtered as Kaito sent him a haughty smirk. He brought Shinichi to his front and held him tightly, wrapping his wings around his new mate.

“Told you Hakuba, Shinichi is trustworthy. Let it go.”

Hakuba muttered unintelligibly to himself before letting out a sigh.

“No one is on my side it seems. Fine then. We'll take our leave.” Hakuba took Aoko’s hand and led her away despite her complaints and whacks to the head. Shinichi watched the two depart from the throne room, leaving him with the king and the long-haired woman. Kaito leaned down to place a kiss on the back of Shinichi’s neck.

“He's such a prick. Don't worry about him Shinichi, he’ll turn around eventually.”

Akako gave the king a warm smile, “You know it's because he cares.” Kaito frowned and snorted.

“Yeah yeah, but he doesn't have to go all overprotective. He isn't my mother.”

Shinichi looked up at Kaito and the king immediately read his confused stare. Kaito exhaled to calm himself.

“Hakuba is a very old friend. He's done a lot for the kingdom. His main job is to protect me. He's an ass, but he can be trusted.”

“How has he protected you?”

The atmosphere in the throne turned serious as both the king and the court mage frowned. Instead of standing around to explain, Kaito led Shinichi to his throne. There, the king sat and gestured Shinichi to sit on his lap.

“Well, you did notice I have wings right? We could've flown home if I really wanted to.” Shinichi didn't even catch that but nodded slowly. Kaito gave him a soft smile before continuing with, “Well, did you notice that Hakuba doesn't have wings?”

Okay Shinichi wasn't paying _that_ much attention to the general. He shook his head to signal that he didn't notice. Kaito softly chuckled as he ran a hand through Shinichi’s hair.

“Hakuba took a very bad hit for me one day. It cost him his wings, a proud symbol for us demons." Shinichi covered his mouth as he gasped. Kaito's gaze softened at his lover's concern, "There's a reason why I specifically appointed him as my general. I know without a doubt he’ll do his utmost to protect me.”

Akako looked away, guilt evident in her eyes. “It was too late. Not even my expertise with magic could've saved his wings,” Akako said gritting her teeth. Kaito gave her a soft smile.

“Hakuba and I do not blame you Akako. It was our mistakes.” Akako sighed and began walking away.

“I would love to spend more time with you two, but I must attend to my court duties." Turning around, she shot Kaito and Shinichi a smirk. "Just so you know my king, you have some paperwork on your desk. I left it all for you.” 

“Damn it Akako. I knew I should've left Aoko in charge.” She left, her laugh echoing in the throne room. The doors shut behind her, leaving the room with a tranquil atmosphere for Kaito and Shinichi. Finally, the two were left alone to themselves.

Kaito shifted Shinichi so that the other demon was straddling him. Shinichi looked forlorn, ruminating about the truth of Hakuba and the reason for all of the overprotectiveness. Kaito stroked Shinichi's cheek and kept a strong grip on the demon's hips with his other hand.

“Oh my dear Shinichi. You won't have to worry about anything. I'm here, as well as all of my vassals. They are yours to use as you see fit.”

Shinichi tried to avoid Kaito’s gaze. “But Hakuba hates me...with good reason.”

“As I said countless times already, he’ll change. Forget him. For now, let's explore the castle. It's your home now.” Kaito picked Shinichi up bridal style and carried him away.

* * *

After a few hours of touring every single hall and gallery of the demon king’s palace, Shinichi was exhausted. There were so many different people walking through the halls and so many different rooms that he set a goal  to memorize where each room was. It would be a challenge, but it would be fun.

Kaito led Shinichi to the final room, the king’s bedroom. The double doors opened to reveal an enormous bed and several cabinets and dressers for the king’s royal threads and needs. It was by far the most quaint room that Shinichi has seen.

“This room is rather normal compared to the other ones I've seen.” Kaito chuckled before holding Shinichi’s hand to guide him inside.

“At the end of the day, all I want to do is relax. I have no need for gold encrusted pillars or ancient artworks.”

Shinichi sat on the bed and felt himself sinking into the plush mattress. The bed dipped further when Kaito joined him. Kaito brought Shinichi down so they laid next to each other.

“So my love, what do you think of your new home? Let me know your honest thoughts.”

“This place is really big! It's not dark and not too hot either.”

Kaito laughed, burying his face into Shinichi’s neck. “Ah yes, my palace is indeed better than your egg and desert. Glad to hear. Any other comments or concerns?”

“Not really. Besides, I know you'll be there for me if I ever get lost.” Kaito felt his chest go warm and tightened his hold over Shinichi.

“Shinichi, that is the most sincere compliment I have ever heard, but remember that this castle is your home. Everyone here is your family now. Don't hesitate to ask them for help.”

“Family.” Shinichi slowly said the word, as if to test it out. “It has a nice ring to it.”

Tired from the day's events, Shinichi slowly drifted to sleep in Kaito's arms. Kaito watched as his lover's breathing began to even out and properly placed the blankets over their bodies. He kissed Shinichi on the cheek before turning the lights off with a snap.

"Good night Shinichi. I'll be here when you wake up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shit on Hakuba so much here but I really do love him.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Look forward to the next chapter~


	3. A Crown of Thorns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update :0 
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys <3

A few months have passed since Shinichi’s arrival in the palace. Most of Shinichi’s time was spent with a tutor that Kaito handpicked to properly educate his new lover. Shinichi was like a sponge when it came to learning. Over time, Shinichi quickly mastered the principles of math, literature, and the sciences. Soon enough he was helping the royal librarians with their research.

Other time was spent with Kaito teaching him about the kingdom and its politics. Shinichi learned to love the lands that Kaito ruled. Shinichi only wished that he could devote himself to the kingdom as much as Kaito does. When he brought this up with Kaito, the king only smiled and stroked his cheek.

“Don’t worry dear, your time is soon.”

Shinichi only blinked at the cryptic message as Kaito quickly changed the topic.

* * *

“Your next lesson shall be in common demonic anatomy. Now, do you know the significant features of the devil class young lord?”

Shinichi broke out of his daydream to listlessly nod at his professor. The professor wasn’t amused but continued nonetheless.

“The most significant features of any devil-class demon include a tail, wings, and horns.” The professor drawled on as Shinichi began daydreaming. “Did you know that the size of one’s horns is symbolic of their rank in the demon hierarchy? For example, the king has large ram-like horns. It’s a symbol of his royal heritage.”

Shinichi really liked Kaito’s horns. They had small ridges that Shinichi liked to rub, causing the king to—

“AHEM. Are you even paying attention?!”

Shinichi shook himself out of yet another daydream and nodded. The professor gave him a stern look before returning to the lesson. He then pointed directly at Shinichi.

“Lesser demons have smaller horns such as yours. Those horns of yours are almost similar to the thorns of a weed. If you didn’t have the king’s favor, I would’ve thought you were a peasant.”

Shinichi reached up to touch his curved horns. They weren’t tiny! They were just right!

...Right?

The tutor let out a mocking laugh. “Your horns look like small needles compared to Lord Hakuba’s and His Majesty. How you ever reached the castle is beyond me. Anyways, onto the next lesson: the nekomata class. A prime example is Lady Aoko.”

The professor continued to talk but Shinichi barely heard the rest of the lecture. The only thing he could focus on was the dark feeling swirling in his gut. Why had no one told him about his horns? Did this mean he didn't deserve to be by Kaito's side? 

* * *

At the end of a long day, Kaito flopped onto his bed and groaned. His day was filled with meetings and paperwork, which left no time for him to spend with Shinichi. Nights were the time he looked forward to the most since it would be just the two of them. Alone. Together.

Kaito heard the click of the bedroom doors opening and flipped himself over to see that it was his beloved Shinichi. His tail began curling up in excitement as he sat up in the bed with outstretched arms.

“Ah Shinichi, how are you my dear? How was class today? Tell me all about your day!”

Shinichi only gave a grunt before lying down beside Kaito. Instead of returning Kaito’s gesture, he curled up into the plush blankets. Kaito, noticing Shinichi’s lack of enthusiasm, lowered his arms and pouted.

“Aw Shinichi I just wanted a hug. I had such a hard day today. Hakuba forced me to stay inside all day for paperwork. Don’t get me started on the meetings Aoko forced me to attend. Those lords are asking for too much.”

Shinichi responded with a small hum. Now Kaito was getting worried. Shinichi was usually more energetic and would usually be asking Kaito more questions.

“Are you sick?” asked Kaito as he put a hand on Shinichi’s forehead. Shinichi instinctively rubbed back against the hand. He loved the softness of the king’s hand and wanted more. Kaito smiled.

“Ah, so you did desire some physical contact? Why didn’t you just say so? I love to spoil you. Ask and you shall receive.” Kaito began to thread his fingers through Shinichi’s hair. Shinichi moved closer to Kaito and sighed in content. The king began massaging Shinichi’s scalp and Shinichi had to stop himself from letting out any embarrassing sounds.

Kaito slightly brushed against one of Shinichi’s horns and Shinichi stilled. He scooted away from Kaito and put the blanket over his head.

“Sorry Kaito. I had a long day and I’m really tired. Good night.”

Kaito was left confused as Shinichi drifted to sleep. Disappointed, Kaito turned off the lights and joined his lover. He would have to investigate into this lack of energy...

* * *

In order to spend lunch with his dear Shinichi, Kaito rushed through his daily paperwork and meetings. After mollifying some rude politicians, Kaito glanced at his watch. All of his efforts granted him a half hour of free time before the next meeting. Smiling, Kaito dashed to the library where he knew Shinichi would still be in the middle of his studies.

Kaito opened the grand doors and began going down each aisle, looking for Shinichi and the tutor. Towards the back bookshelves, Kaito found the tutor speaking to a cloaked individual. The hood was up, obscuring their face. The tutor noticed the king’s presence and immediately bowed. Kaito nodded and the tutor went upright.

“Good afternoon Your Majesty. We just finished with today’s lesson. He is free for the rest of the day.”

The cloaked individual turned around and Kaito saw that it was Shinichi. Strange. Kaito didn’t even know that Shinichi owned a cloak. He took Shinichi’s hand laced their fingers together.

“Hello love. You look lovely today. Would you care to join me for lunch?”

Kaito’s smile dropped as he saw Shinichi avoiding his gaze.

"Sorry Kaito. I have somewhere to be right now. Perhaps next time?”

Shinichi quickly let go of Kaito’s hand and rushed out of the library, leaving Kaito alone with the tutor. Kaito looked at the tutor, who only shrugged.

* * *

The next few days led to the same result. Kaito would seek out Shinichi during his free time and attempt to invite him to lunch. Shinichi would subsequently give Kaito a half-hearted excuse and escape. At night, Kaito would pester his lover into telling him about his problems, but Shinichi only gave more excuses and hide under the blankets.

At this point, Kaito felt like pulling his horns out. Something was bothering Shinichi enough that he wouldn’t tell Kaito. _Something was bothering Shinichi._

This was inexcusable.

To sour Kaito’s mood even further, he had to host a stupid gala in his palace tonight. He would much rather be coaxing the truth out of Shinichi, but it would have to wait. He adjusted the royal cape on his shoulder pads and fastened the buttons. The dark cape stopped just above the floor and complimented the gray military uniform he wore.

And of course Shinichi was nowhere to be found. The uniform that Kaito had provided for Shinichi was missing, so he hoped that Shinichi was actually wearing it. The uniform was made to match his own and a silent message to others that Shinichi was his.

Satisfied with his appearance, Kaito left the royal quarters and headed towards the grand hall where the gala was already underway. He met Hakuba at the hallway intersection and walked together side by side.

“About time. The gala has already started. You’re late to your own event.” said Hakuba. The general was also wearing a dark military uniform, however it was less decorated than Kaito’s. The duo picked up their stride.

“I was waiting for Shinichi. Did you see him anywhere? He’s been acting strange for the past couple of days and he won’t tell me why.” Hakuba rolled his eyes.

“Don’t worry about him. I’m sure they are already in the gala, waiting to hide behind you like usual.”

“Shinichi’s been more out of his shell lately. He doesn’t hide behind me like he used to.”

“If you say so.”

They reached the entryway of the grand hall and everyone in the vicinity bowed towards Kaito. Kaito simply smiled and waved towards the numerous visitors.

“Welcome everyone. Thank you for attending tonight’s gala. I hope you all enjoy yourselves. There’s plenty of refreshments for everyone.”

The hall filled with applause and everyone settled back into their previous conversations. Not really caring who attended, Kaito searched around for Shinichi. He got distracted at times and was forced to greet a few barons and lords around the room.

“Now if I was Shinichi, where would I be right now?” muttered Kaito as he passed the refreshment table. Several other guests swarmed up to him and he was forced to smile and fake a polite conversation.

While an ogre lord was trying to convince him to raise tariffs on imports, Kaito’s eyes finally landed on an identical uniform to his own. Kaito felt his heart swell at the thought of matching with Shinichi. He quickly denied the ogre and slowly crossed the room to reach Shinichi.

* * *

Shinichi was not having a great time. The room was crowded and bustling with many nobles from around the area. Some have already approached him to ask about the various medals on his chest, but Shinichi could only apologize and say he didn't know their significance. He received some disappointed stares and eventually they left him alone, getting the sense that Shinichi didn't really fit in.

Shinichi worked his way to a corner of the venue and nursed a cup of water. Maybe if he stayed quiet, no one else would notice him.  He really hoped Kaito would show up soon.

Shinichi adjusted the small beret he wore and made sure it covered his head. He originally brought the cloak, but Aoko saw it and called him a ‘fashion disaster’ before ripping it off of him and throwing it away. He had to hurriedly return to the bedroom and find the next best thing: This stupid beret. Luckily his horns were hidden without a problem.

But that was the problem itself wasn't it? They were so small...

Feeling a little down, Shinichi decided to go and refill his cup of water. He kept his head down to try and avoid any eye contact with the guests walking around. Unfortunately, this meant he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings and bumped into someone. Some of the leftover water in the cup spilled onto the next person. A high pitched shrill echoed through the room. A second later, Shinichi was roughly pushed to the floor.

“Just what the hell do you think you're doing? How dare you?!” 

Shinichi, startled at the loud noise, winced, and tried to speak up. No words could escape his throat.

“Look at what you've done! This dress was perfectly tailored for this event. You'll be paying for all the damages and for an entirely new wardrobe! No! Two of them!”

Shinichi looked up to see a fuming gorgon glaring at him. He tried to look for an escape, but found none as the crowd began to circle around them. Shinichi felt trapped, something he hadn’t felt since his time in the egg. The medusa kicked at his face, causing the beret on his head to fall to the side. He heard a sneer and a few gasps.

“I see what’s going on now. Who let the peasant into the party? I’ll never get any compensation now.” Several members of the crowd laughed, making Shinichi feel even worse.

“Disperse this crowd at once!” yelled a familiar voice. Looking up, Shinichi saw Akako weaving through the crowd in a tightly fitted scarlet dress. A few demons stayed and ogled at her,  but with a flick of her wrist, Akako released a wave of energy that pushed back some of the partygoers. She reached Shinichi and helped him stand up. Shinichi nodded in thanks and Akako dusted off his shoulders.

“Don’t worry. The king is on his way.” Turning around, Akako shot a glare at the offended noble, “As for you Lady Scalia, you will be punished for creating a spectacle during a peaceful event. Take her away General Hakuba.” Hakuba was already behind the medusa and grabbed her arm.

The medusa look affronted and tried pulling away from Hakuba’s tight grip. “Why should I be punished? It was the lesser demon that bumped into me and soiled my dress! Send it to the dungeon! Serves it right!”

A menacing aura began approaching and the crowd fell silent as Lady Scalia continued to protest loudly.

“This is outrageous! I’m the one who had water poured on them! Send the small-horned one to the dungeon instead!”

Lady Scalia did not notice as members of the crowd began bowing in reverence. The crowd was shifting, making room for someone.

“And just why would I have my own lover sent to the dungeon for such an insignificant reason? Water dries quickly Lady Scalia.” The demon king emerged from the parting crowd, a menacing glare etched on his usually smiling face.

Hakuba released Lady Scalia and she gasped. The noble immediately dropped to her knees and bowed on the floor. Her face was as white as a sheet when she met the eyes of the king.

“Forgive me Your Majesty! I did not know of your relation to that demon. I’m so sorry for my misdeeds.” 

“Save your excuses. I witnessed everything in the past few moments. You will apologize to Shinichi for overreacting and causing him pain.”

“Yes! I shall! Where did the other go ?” Lady Scalia lifted her head and looked around desperately. The small-horned demon was nowhere to be seen.

Akako stood by Kaito and glowered at the groveling noble. “My king, Shinichi has left the hall already. I do not believe he is in a sound enough state to hear Lady Scalia’s apology.”  

Kaito’s frown darkened and Akako heard a low growl from her king. “I see. So Shinichi has chosen to not accept the apology.” Kaito exhaled. “A pity then. I’m leaving Lady Scalia to you Akako. Assist her Hakuba. I must attend to Shinichi.” He turned towards the crowd with a small smile. “I’m truly sorry for the commotion, but it seems that the gala will be ending prematurely. I hope to host for everyone again soon.” The demon king then exited the grand hall at a brisk pace.

“Wait, what are you saying Your Majesty?! This isn’t fair? Anyone?!” Lady Scalia looked to the crowd to see that the crowd was ignoring her and dispersing. Hakuba lifted the noble and Akako restrained her with a binding spell.

“You have crossed a fine line Lady Scalia.” said Hakuba with a hint of anger, “I doubt the king will show you a shred of mercy.”

* * *

Shinichi opened the doors to the royal bedroom and hid under the bed’s comforter.

He made an utter fool of himself. He could still feel the crowd’s stare on his back, mocking him, belittling him. Tears began to prick in Shinichi’s eyes and he wiped them on his arm.

Oh no. What would Kaito say? Did he embarrass Kaito? Will he be sent away for this?

_Was he going to be alone again?_

Shinichi sniffled into the blankets, the depressing thoughts swirling around his head. A faint click came from the other side of the room and Shinichi stilled. He knew it was Kaito, but he didn’t want to leave just yet. The bed dipped next to Shinichi, but he stayed inside the blankets. He felt a hand tug at the blankets.

“Shinichi? It’s me. Please let me see your face.”

The tone of Kaito’s voice was so gentle that Shinichi obeyed and removed the blanket, revealing his tear stained cheeks and disheveled uniform. Kaito instantly brought Shinichi to his arms and stroked the demon’s sore cheek. Shinichi’s cheek had a bright red mark from Scalia.

“How dare she strike what’s mine...Does it hurt dear?” Shinichi felt Kaito’s soothing fingers rubbing at the mark and sighed.

“It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.” Shinichi saw a flash of anger go through Kaito’s eyes, but it quickly vanished.

“I see. Don’t worry Shinichi, I will personally make sure Scalia is punished. I promise. She will regret all of her actions tonight.”

“...But wasn’t she telling the truth?”

“Hm? Did she speak any more slander against you?”

Shinichi bit his lip and stayed silent. Kaito saw more tears welling up in his lover’s eyes and brought Shinichi into a tight embrace. Shinichi instinctively returned the embrace and allowed some of his tears to fall onto Kaito’s shoulder.

“Love, please tell me what’s wrong. I want to help you, but I can’t until you let me in.”

Shinichi let out a shaky breath before finally saying, “She called me a peasant for having such small horns.”

Surprised, Kaito moved Shinichi so that they were now face to face on the bed. He still kept a tight grip on Shinichi’s waist. One of Kaito’s wings were draped around Shinichi to comfort the other demon.

“A peasant? It seems another crime must be added to their list. Anything else I need to know about?”

Shinichi puffed out his cheeks and crossed his arms. Kaito noticed that Shinichi’s tail was drooping sadly upon the sheets. Shinichi muttered something quietly to himself.

Kaito's ears picked up the quiet sounds. "Dear, I couldn't quite hear that. Can you speak up a little bit please?" 

Shinichi bit his lip, hesitating. He didn't want to embarrass himself further. “I said: Why should she be punished if she’s telling the truth?” said Shinichi.

Kaito didn't expect to hear Shinichi deprecate himself. He tightened the hold on Shinichi’s waist. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about Shinichi, you are far from low class. You are of the noble class, just like me.”

The forlorn look returned to Shinichi’s face. He picked at the threads of the blanket, trying to avoid Kaito’s piercing gaze.

“But my horns...they aren’t as grand as yours. They’re...thorns on a weed.”

Kaito’s eyes widened in disbelief. “A weed?! Excuse me Shinichi, but who told you that? Was it Scalia again?”

“The tutor did. They explained that my horns were of the lower class and that the only reason he was teaching me was because I have your favor.”

Kaito silently made a note to find Shinichi a new tutor and kill the current one.

“Shinichi, what you heard was absolute blasphemy. You should not have listened to that idiotic tutor's lies." Kaito shook his head and pressed kiss to Shinichi's forehead. "I'm sorry, I sometimes forget how impressionable you are.”

Shinichi looked at Kaito with confusion still etched in his eyes.

“Kaito? What do you mean?”

Kaito smiled and gently took Shinichi’s hand to caress it.

“To put it simply my dear, the principle that horn size equals status is such an outdated idea. The principle was something carried from the previous generation. There are only a few demons who still believe in it.”

"But my horns...why did you make them so small? They could’ve been big like yours or Hakuba’s…”

“Hmph. Your horns are perfect and adorable my dear. I desire them that way. Everything about you was created on purpose.”

Kaito kissed Shinichi’s hand before releasing it. With both of his hands, Kaito rubbed at Shinichi’s horns, causing the demon to let out a small whimper.

“Ah yes, I forgot about their sensitivity. Sorry love. To answer your question: I made them small so that you would look even cuter and they are more manageable. Larger horns are sometimes an annoyance, especially when it comes to maintenance.”

Shinichi looked down, still unsure of himself. Kaito brought Shinichi’s chin up with a finger and stared directly at his eyes.

“Not enough then? Fine, I'll just have to convince you." Kaito stroked Shinichi's horns, eliciting a small whimper. "So you believe your horns are thorns? Did you know that roses have thorns on them to protect themselves from predators? That’s what you are Shinichi: my beautiful, blooming rose.” 

Shinichi’s face turned scarlet red and tried to hide himself in the blanket. Kaito chuckled at the display before bringing Shinichi into another hug. Shinichi rested his head on Kaito’s shoulder as Kaito wrapped his wings around his lover.

“No need to be ashamed my dear. I would shout it to the skies everyday if it would make you happy. You are perfect just the way you are. Let no one tell you otherwise.”

Shinichi nodded and wiped the rest of his tears away. The two sat in silence, content with the conversation they had. Sensing that Shinichi was feeling better, Kaito laid Shinichi down.

“Do you feel better now dear?” Shinichi timidly nodded. "Perfect.” Kaito kissed both of Shinichi’s horns before placing a kiss on Shinichi’s lips. “I have something to attend to. Rest for now and I’ll return later. I promise.”

Shinichi nodded and closed his eyes to try and sleep. Kaito stood up to leave the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He exhaled, feeling his anger renewing at those who hurt his Shinichi. Kaito stretched out his wings to prepare for flight.

He had some _insects_ to destroy.

* * *

Shinichi was abruptly woken by a loud knock on the bedroom door. Still drowsy, he tried looking for Kaito. From the looks of things, it seemed that the king had still not returned from his errands.

“Um, you may enter.”

The doors opened and General Hakuba walked in, still wearing the formal attire from the gala. He was the person that Shinichi least expected to walk through. Maybe he should’ve faked his sleep.

Hakuba scanned the room before laying his eyes on Shinichi. “The king has not returned yet?”

Shinichi shrugged. “I don’t believe so. He said he had something to attend to.”

“I see. Very well then.” Hakuba turned around, almost exiting the room. He stopped abruptly and looked back.

“I have some advice for you: the people will not respect you if you do not demand respect. Although Lady Scalia’s behavior at the gala was unforgivable, it could have been avoided if you exerted a backbone and defended yourself. Your innocent and kind personality will not last long in a society where a demon could betray you at any moment.”

Shinichi’s eyes widened. Hakuba was actually giving him good advice?

“Hakuba...thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hakuba nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be off now. Rest well.” Hakuba closed the door behind him, leaving Shinichi alone in the room.

Shinichi clenched at the sheets around him.

Tomorrow would be a new day of change for him. He vowed to be stronger. For Kaito and the rest of the people taking care of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaito was off killing the tutor by the way.


	4. To Be Stronger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone welcome to chapter 4. Before we get started, just wanted to note I got a few comments on Shinichi's OOC personality. Yes, it's on purpose. I'm fully aware Shinichi is nowhere like this. Don't worry he's changing real quick.
> 
> With that, enjoy chapter 4. There are some mild scenes in here...but not enough to be rated explicit.

Grand Mage Akako was researching new hexes in her room when she heard some knocks on her door. She frowned. She wasn’t expecting any guests at this time. This was her research time, everyone in the castle knew not to disrupt her at this time.

“Miss Akako? Hello? Are you there?”

Except Shinichi.

“One moment.” She waved her hand in the air and the door opened, revealing a wide-eyed Shinichi at the entryway. Shinichi looked at the gothic decor before slowly entering the dark room, making sure to look where he stepped. He avoided some discarded spell books and finally reached the area where Akako was waiting.

“What brings you to my area of the castle young Shinichi? Are you lost again? If you are looking for His Majesty, I believe he is in a meeting with some druid from the east.”

“Um...Well…” Shinichi was looking down and nervously played with the hem of his shirt. He took a deep breath. In one swift motion, Shinichi bowed in front of Akako, causing her to widen her eyes in disbelief.

“Please Miss Akako! Teach me your ways!”

“Excuse me, my what?”

Shinichi stood up, eyes gleaming bright.

“What you did at the gala! The thing to make everyone move!”

Akako snorted and brushed her hair over her shoulders. “That was just simple magic. The sheer force simply scared everyone away.”

“Exactly,” Shinichi grinned, “I wanna do that too!”

Akako raised an eyebrow before laughing.

“Does your tutor not teach you any magic?”

“Um. He didn’t. And I haven’t seen my tutor for a few days. Kaito said I’m free of lessons until he finds me a new teacher.”

Akako tapped her chin as she pondered. The demon looked almost desperate enough…

“How badly do you wish to learn magic?”

Shinichi took one of Akako’s hands, startling her. He held Akako’s hand firmly with both of his hands.

“Really bad! I want to learn so I can help everyone. I don’t want to be like how I was at the gala. Next time I want to stand up for myself.”

As she listened to his desperate plea, Akako’s heart was touched at Shinichi’s sincere words. It reminded her of how she first came to the castle many years ago. Shinichi heard an ominous chuckle from the Grand Mage. He shivered as Akako’s eyes seemed to flare to life.

“Ohoho, so you are that determined then? Very well, I will allow you to become my pupil. The training will be tough, so if you cannot handle it, you will die.”

Shinichi smiled widely and brought Akako into a hug. Akako, unused to physical contact, just stayed still until Shinichi released her.

“Thank you so much Miss Akako!”

“You may drop the Miss. Just call me Akako.” The king would have her head if she made Shinichi call her Lady Akako like the other servants. Akako went over to her bookshelf and skimmed over spines until she found the book she was looking for. She handed it to Shinichi.

“Here. This is a beginner’s guide to magic. Read it and return tomorrow so we could start our lessons on magical spells.”

Shinichi looked down at the book with curiosity. “Thank you Akako! I’ll read it all tonight!” He turned around only to be dragged back by his collar.

“I did not give you permission to leave. Out of the sincerity of my heart, I will be giving you a... _supplemental_ lesson.”

“Huh? Um, okay! I’m ready for anything.”

Akako let go of Shinichi’s collar and he turned around, looking at her expectantly. Akako smirked.

“I will be teaching you how to speak like a noble. Has your tutor taught you proper etiquette?”

“Yes. He said I had perfect manners! And I know which fork to use during which meal.”

“Ohoho, wonderful. This lesson will go smoothly then. I’m going to teach you how to defend yourself with words. In other words, to insult others.”

Shinichi was taken aback by the topic of the lesson.

“Wait, isn’t that mean?! I don’t believe I’m allowed to say mean things.”

“You’re not supposed to insult everybody. Only those who hurt you. For example, Lady Scalia from the gala. Are you not angry with her? Don't you wish to say something to her?”

Shinichi shuddered as he recalled the gala. Then he remembered the words Hakuba told him that night.

_Your innocent and kind personality will not last long in a society where a demon could betray you at any moment._

“I-I was mad. But at the moment, I couldn’t even say anything back.” Shinichi bit his lip. He felt pathetic back then.

“And this is why I’m going to teach you to defend yourself with words. Alright, take a seat. Your first lesson starts now.” Akako snapped her fingers to make a desk and chair appear. Shinichi took a seat and a piece of paper and pen appeared out of thin air.

“You _will_ take notes,” commanded Akako.

Shinichi nodded and held the pen. He looked up at Akako with eager eyes and Akako could swear she saw the demon’s tail flitting away happily. Shinichi reminded Akako of a puppy that was ready to play. She was about to laugh, but composed herself to begin the lesson.

“Lesson one: to remain calm and indifferent in any situation. Don’t think I didn’t see you escaping from the gala the other night. A proud demon would’ve stayed the entire time.”

Akako smiled as she watched Shinichi furiously scribbling down onto the paper. It seems she found a studious pupil.

* * *

General Hakuba was propositioned next.

“And just why the hell should I train you? I’m already busy with my patrols and other duties around the castle. It would be a waste of my time.”

Shinichi pouted and huffed. Hakuba was trying really hard to ignore that this literal clone of his king was acting like a child. Shinichi clasped his hands together and puffed out his bottom lip.

“Please Hakuba! I would really love to learn! You're one of the strongest demons in the castle right? There’s no one else I could trust with this!”

Hakuba tried to ignore the red blooming on his cheeks. Damn it. He loved praise. Hakuba crossed his arms defiantly.

“Flattery will get you nowhere. Let me guess, you learned that from your lessons with Lady Akako?” Hakuba saw a flash of nervousness go through Shinichi’s eyes.

“Of course not! Everything I’ve said is the truth. Even Kaito said you were really strong. That’s why you were appointed as the general of the entire demon army.” Shinichi looked as if he was hesitating, before looking up at Hakuba and asking, “Was Kaito lying to me?”

“The king said that?” Hakuba felt a little embarrassed to know that his king praised him. “I see.”

Hakuba was faced with a dilemma: he could train this so-called weapon or continue to get annoyed. Hakuba sighed. It seems he has no choice.

“Fine. I’ll teach to wield a weapon. But if I hear any complaints about my training methods, then it’s over. Deal?”

Shinichi nodded, smiling. He took one of Hakuba’s hands and shook it.

“Deal!”

Hakuba took his hand back quickly.

“So what weapon were you interested in learning?”

“Well you see…” Shinichi fumbled around in his pocket and took out a silver dagger, “I thought these were pretty cool.”

“You do know those should be sheathed right? You could have cut yourself.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

Hakuba felt his stress levels increase. This might be difficult for him and his now elevating blood pressure.

“It’s fine. Just keep it in mind for next time. Now let me show you how to actually hold it.”

Hakuba took Shinichi’s hand and correctly positioned Shinichi’s fingers over the handle of the dagger.

“There. Remember that grip. Daggers are mainly used for close-combat or last resort efforts. They’re weak for defending yourself. They can also be thrown, but you must have good aim. We can work on that later.”

“Good aim huh…” Shinichi muttered to himself before turning around. He threw the dagger in front of him and it stuck itself onto a nearby pillar. A stone pillar. Hakuba’s eyes widened in disbelief. The pillar was cracked, a jagged line coming from the point where the dagger was stuck. He refused to be the one to explain this to the king.

Shinichi scratched the back of his head. The tip of his tail was swaying around, a sign of embarrassment.

“Uh, oops?”

“Forget handling a dagger, we need to get you on something else.”

This weapon was truly terrifying.

* * *

Kaito perked up as he heard the bedroom door creak open. It could only be one person.

“Shinichi! Love, tell me all about your day.” Kaito’s nose scrunched up as he smelled something strange. “Oh, why are you so sweaty?”

"I’ll tell you all about it Kaito! Just let me change.”

There were drops of sweat sliding down Shinichi’s forehead and his tunic looked quite damp. What a mess. Kaito’s nose twitched. He loved Shinichi, but he preferred his lover clean.

“I’ll prepare a bath for you. Would you like me to wash your hair for you?”

Shinichi grinned and nodded. The two headed to the adjacent bathroom where an enormous bathtub was.

“Wait here dear. The tub is still filling up.”

Shinichi waited nearby and began stripping himself of his clothes. He threw them to side and went beside the tub. Kaito was rolling up his sleeves and waited for Shinichi on the side of the tub.

“The temperature is just right Shinichi. Come in and try not to slip.”

Shinichi submerged himself in the warm waters and sighed. This was refreshing. Outside the tub, Kaito was sitting on a stool and grabbed a small basin to fill it with water. He gently poured water on Shinichi’s head and found the shampoo bottle to the side. Kaito squirted some into his hands and began to lather it into Shinichi’s hair. Shinichi sighed as Kaito’s lithe fingers massaged his scalp.

“Kaito you feel so good.”

Kaito smiled and began to massage at the base of Shinichi’s horns. Shinichi gasped and moaned. Kaito circled around the base before stroking the curve of the tiny horns.

“Lovely. You’re so cute Shinichi. I love you so much you can’t believe it.” He rubbed on the horns one last time before pouring water over Shinichi’s head to wash off the shampoo. “Can you handle the rest by yourself dear?”

“Of course I can. Can you hand me the soap?” Kaito looked around the room and found some lavender soap. He handed the soap to Shinichi, who graciously accepted it. Kaito’s eyes zoomed in on Shinichi’s hand where there were multiple cuts. He grabbed Shinichi’s hand and saw there were calluses on his lover’s palm.

“Shinichi, what happened to your hand? How did you hurt yourself?”

“It doesn't hurt or anything.”

“That's not the point. How did these happen?”

“Well, I was training with Hakuba today.”

“Training?” With Hakuba nonetheless...the world must be ending.

“Yes! He agreed to teach me about weapon handling.”

“Weapon handling?!” sputtered Kaito, “And why would you need to learn that?”

Shinichi took his hand back from Kaito and began lathering the soap on himself.

“I want to be able to protect myself. That's all.”

"You have me and the rest of the castle. You don't need anything else.”

Shinichi pouted. “Kaito…I really want to learn.”

“We can talk about this more after your bath. I'll meet you on the bed.”

Kaito sat on the bed, waiting for his dear Shinichi to finish bathing. He heard wet footsteps on tile and knew that Shinichi was done bathing. Kaito patiently sat, thoughts filled with worry. Soon enough, Shinichi joined Kaito on the bed. Kaito laced their fingers together and wrapped his tail around the other’s waist.

“Now Shinichi, returning to my previous question: why are you learning how to handle a weapon? A delicate flower such as yourself has no need for it.”

Shinichi frowned, his small wings bristling with annoyance.

“I don't want to be known as ‘delicate’. I...I want to be seen as your equal.”

Kaito’s gaze softened. He brought Shinichi into a warm hug. Shinichi burrowed himself into Kaito’s neck and Kaito pressed a kiss to the side of Shinichi’s head.

“I see. This is because of the gala correct? I told you there was nothing to be ashamed of. I'm here for you.”

“I know you are, but...the others were right. I could have stood my own ground, but instead everyone else had to pick me up.” Shinichi sighed into Kaito’s shoulder. “I just don't want to be a burden to everyone.” Shinichi heard a sigh from Kaito.

“I feel like I've failed you Shinichi. Hearing that you feel this way makes me sad. But I understand.” Shinichi’s eyes widened. “I'll allow you to continue training. If it gets too much, I'll stop Hakuba myself.”  

Shinichi smiled and pushed him and Kaito flat onto the bed. Shinichi felt elated as Kaito wrapped his wings around him.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you Kaito! I love you so much!”

“Not as much as I love you my dear Shinichi. Now let's prepare for bed. I'm sure you have quite the day tomorrow.”

“Yeah! Hakuba said he was going to let me try out a few more weapons.”

“I'll be here to kiss all your wounds...but please don't hurt yourself.” Kaito kissed a flustered Shinichi’s forehead and closed his eyes.

"Kaito! You are so embarrassing!”

“Only for you dear~”

* * *

After some lessons on how to talk down others, Shinichi decided to stop by the kitchen to pick up some snacks. It was past lunch, but a snack before dinner wouldn't hurt. Several servants were bustling around the kitchen area doing early preparations for dinner. An imp almost bumped into him and Shinichi dodged at the last second. The imp turned around to give Shinichi a respectful bow.

“Ah, forgive me Lord Shinichi. We’re quite busy in the kitchen.”

“No worries. I'm sorry to be in your way! I'm just here to grab something to snack on before dinner.”

The imp nodded and pointed to a tray of small sandwich slices on the counter.

“That tray is actually for His Majesty. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you grabbed a few before we delivered it to him.”

“For Kaito? I can deliver it if you want.”

The imp shook his head. “We couldn't possibly trouble you milord! Leave it to us.”

Shinichi smiled as he grabbed the tray. “No worries! I don't get to see Kaito at work often, so this would be a treat for him and me.”

“Lord Shinichi...if you insist then please do so. Thank you!” The imp bowed and Shinichi waved goodbye.

Shinichi weaved out of the kitchen with the sandwich tray in hand. He plucked a couple off the tray and plopped them into his mouth. They were delicious! He snuck a few more before finally reaching the meeting room that Kaito was supposed to be in. He knocked a few times before he heard a “You may enter” and opened the door.

Kaito was sitting at the the head of the rectangular table. Aoko was standing next to him, writing notes into her clipboard. On the other side of the table in the far side of the room was a raven demon. The demon had a seemingly normal face if not for the beak protruding from the area where there was supposed to be a nose. Dark feathers covered most of the demon’s skin.

The raven demon’s beady eyes turned to look at Shinichi from head to toe.

“Ah, has your servant brought us refreshments? Wonderful. I'm absolutely famished. Where did you get this one Your Majesty? Their horns are so tiny!”

The atmosphere in the room darkened at once. Shinichi could feel Kaito’s anger radiating from across the room. Aoko looked nervous standing beside the king as she looked at Shinichi with pity. Shinichi slammed the tray down in front of the raven and straightened his posture. He crossed his arms before giving the raven a glare.

“My apologies, but I am not a mere servant.”

The raven turned to Kaito and loudly chirped. Shinichi didn’t need to know bird language to perceive it as laughter. “How disrespectful! Do you see this Your Majesty? You need to find better service.”

Shinichi continued to glower at the raven. “Don't ignore me.”

The raven turned back to Shinichi, unamused. Shinichi took a deep breath. He’s been training for this.

“I don't know who you are, but I refuse to be talked down like that.” said Shinichi. He felt his hands trembling. He tightly balled them.

“Do you even know who I am brat? I can easily have you banished to the darkest sector of the slums with a flick of my beak.”

“I honestly don't care who you are. But do you know who I am?” Shinichi pointed at himself, “I'm Shinichi, the demon king’s one and only partner. And you just insulted me in his presence.”

There was a silent pause where Aoko just nervously looked between the other three demons in the room. The silence was broken as the raven broke out into laughter.

“You? The partner of His Majesty? What a joke. The demon king would never court a demon such as yourself. No title, no horns. You're nothing but—”

The raven was cut off as Kaito jumped across the table to grip the raven’s neck. The wings of the king were flared out and his eyes were absolutely livid. Kaito stared down at the raven as he tightened his hold, sharp nails digging into the raven demon's skin.

“If you insult Shinichi any further you will die. I don't care if you're a member of my court or not. I will not allow any slander to be spoken about Shinichi.”

If a raven could pale, then he would have. Instead, the raven noble was sweating as the king’s furious indigo eyes were drilling holes through his skull. In the back, Aoko was screeching and Shinichi blushed at Kaito’s over-protectiveness.

“Kaito...it's fine. I think he’s learned his lesson.”

Kaito looked at Shinichi before releasing the raven.

“If you say so dear. Thank you very much for bringing us these sandwiches. We appreciate it very much, right Lord Velth?”

The raven shakily nodded, too stunned for words. Shinichi coldly stared at the noble and silently left the room. As the door clicked close, Kaito turned back to the raven noble.

“You should choose your words more wisely next time. If not for Shinichi, you would have died a second ago.”

Lord Velth gulped.

“Your Majesty,” coughed Aoko, “please get off the table and return to your seat.”

* * *

After the commotion with Lord Velth, Kaito cancelled his last meeting and immediately went to his bedroom. There he found Shinichi sitting on the bed, looking at some spot in the distance. Worried, Kaito went to sit next to Shinichi and held his lover’s hand.

"Shinichi? Dear, how are you?”

Shinichi’s stoic face from the meeting room slowly melted. Shinichi bit his lip and burrowed himself into Kaito’s chest. Kaito instinctively draped his wings around Shinichi to form a protective cocoon.

“H-how does everyone do it? It was so hard.”

“What do you mean dear?” asked Kaito as he rubbed Shinichi’s back.

“Being strong. When that lord said those cruel things at me, I felt like I was at the gala all over again. Ashamed. Scared.”

“I'm so sorry you felt that way Shinichi.” Kaito knew he should've just killed the raven noble, but Aoko didn't let him.

“I...I'll be fine. I guess Akako’s lessons really are helping.”

“Oh really? That's good.” Kaito didn't know Shinichi was taking lessons from Akako...that didn't bode well with him. What could the high mage be teaching his Shinichi? Kaito shook his head. There were better things to talk about. “I must say Shinichi, I was quite proud of you in that room.” Kaito smiled as he saw Shinichi’s tail perk up and his wings ruffle.

“Really? You think I did well?”

“Yes, you did wonderful. Not only did you defend yourself, you stated that you belonged to me.” Kaito kissed Shinichi’s forehead. “That deserves a reward.”

“A reward?” Shinichi looked up to see Kaito’s mischievous eyes, “What kind of reward?”

Kaito smirked. “Just close your eyes and enjoy.”

“Okay. But you better not be up to any funny business.” Shinichi closed his eyes and waited. Soft lips descended on his and Shinichi moaned into the deep kiss. Kaito licked at Shinichi’s lips, asking for permission to enter. Shinichi shyly opened his mouth and Kaito’s tongue wandered around Shinichi's mouth, mapping it out. They separated and Shinichi panted for breath. He felt Kaito shift away from him and suddenly felt hands on his shoulders. The bed creaked behind him and Shinichi began to feel anticipation for what was to come. The next thing he felt was a familiar tongue wrapping around one of his petite horns. Shinichi muffled a squeak with his hands.

“K-Kaito!” The tongue stroked the curves of his horn. A second later, soft lips descended and Shinichi felt Kaito’s mouth engulf his entire horn before repeating the same to the other horn. Shinichi tried to stifle his moans with hands, but it was no use. It felt too good.

“So sensitive. I wonder what other parts of you are sensitive.” A hand wrapped around Shinichi’s tail, startling him.

“Hmm. How about this dear?” Kaito licked a long stripe on the tip of Shinichi’s tail, causing another moan to come from the demon.

“Hah…”

“So it is sensitive after all. I'll keep it in mind for next time. You can open your eyes now Shinichi.”

Shinichi opened his eyes and turned around to pout at Kaito.

“Why did you stop?” Kaito had a sly grin on his face.

“Oh dear, you wanted me to continue? Ah, your face is so cute right now. You're quite flushed darling.”

That only made Shinichi even more red. He lightly hit Kaito’s chest and then crossed his arms.

“You're a tease.”

“Indeed I am. I'm just waiting until our special night.” Shinichi raised an eyebrow at his lover.

“Our ‘special night’? What do you mean by that?”

“Your coronation night of course! That's the day everyone will know you're my chosen queen. And,” Kaito held Shinichi’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, “the day I finally claim you once and for all.”

Shinichi owlishly blinked.

“But Kaito, I'm already yours.”

As he heard those words, Kaito felt his heart swell with warmth. He hugged Shinichi and kissed him on the cheek.

“I know that Shinichi. I belong to you as well. I told you that the moment we met.” Kaito felt slightly flustered as he scratched his head. “I just meant that I would like to...consummate our love. Do you understand the implications?”

“Oh.” Shinichi knew what that meant from his studies with his former tutor.

“Erm yes. Would you be okay with that? Or do you need more time? I don't want to rush you.”

Shinichi looked deep into Kaito’s eyes and saw only sincerity and concern. Shinichi’s smile softened and he kissed his king on the lips.

“I think I'm more than ready Kaito.”

Kaito's eyes widened and he swept Shinichi into his arms for another hug, this time tackling the other demon flat onto the bed. He pinned Shinichi down and laid a shower of kisses all over Shinichi’s face.

“You have no idea how happy you've made me Shinichi. I'll make sure coronation goes off without a hitch. Only the grandest of ceremonies for my future queen.”

“Just don't go too overboard. You know I'm shy.”

“I can't wait to start planning. I'll invite as many people as I can. I need to show off my beautiful queen.”

“Kaito.” Shinichi said with a stern tone.

“Yes, yes I won't go overboard.” Kaito said as he secretly crossed his fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is Coronation Day. The rating may go up.


	5. Coronation Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tone and style of this chapter may be different since it's from a different POV. Also, it was the first chapter written for the AU.  
> Warning: Mild violence/torture towards the end of the chapter.

“Now announcing Lord Belias of the Fourth Domain.”

Lord Belias, a grand ox demon, strutted through the castle gates and saw as he and his fellow nobles were welcomed by the king’s loyal knights. The general of the Demon Army greeted the lords as they walked through the foyer of the Great Hall.

“Lord Belias, His Majesty extends his greetings and thanks for attending today's coronation.”

Belias nodded at the General and shook the other demon’s hand.

“Thank you General Hakuba. Let His Majesty know that I'm honored to witness the coronation today.”

The General nodded and pointed to a hallway. “For now, all guests are allowed to venture through the castle. Keep in mind the time before gathering in the throne room.”

Lord Belias travelled through the vast halls of the Demon King’s castle searching for anything to relieve his boredom. Events like coronations weren’t common, but the current king was known to throw many grand galas. Everyone knew that the Demon King was a show off and this coronation was only a grand way to show off his power.

Belias snorted. Knowing the Demon King, the future queen was probably some busty succubus found off the streets. Their almighty king was known to be a flirt, but nobody ever thought the king would ever tie himself down. There were already bets as to when the annulment would be and who would rise to be the next queen.

Trying to find some entertainment, Belias avoided the paths of some rushing servants and entered the grand library. He browsed through some ancient magic texts, but nothing here stimulated his interest. Deciding to just wait with some other lords in the common area, he turned to exit the library and bumped into a smaller devil. The smaller demon fell to the floor, scattering the books on a nearby table.

Belias looked down to see that his newly washed uniform was now crinkled. He glared at the demon on the floor and picked him up by the collar. The smaller demon did nothing except raise an eyebrow at the lord. Belias roughly shook the smaller demon.

“How dare you soil my uniform you insolent worm?”

The demon stayed neutral face and crossed his arms.

“Sorry for bumping into you, but you should've looked both ways before—”

Enraged at the retort, Belias threw the demon at the nearby table. The demon curled in on himself in pain.

“Watch your tongue. How dare you talk back to me? Do you know who I am? I am Lord Belias of the Fourth Domain, Destroyer of the Damned.”

The smaller demon looked up, rubbing the newly formed bruise on his cheek.

“Does it look like I really care?”

Belias snarled. “A demon with horns as small as yours should not be talking back to a person as high a caliber as me. Begone before I shed blood today.”

The smaller demon looked like it was about to say something else, but the sound of bells went off through the castle. They decided to stay quiet as they stood up glaring and briskly left the library, leaving Belias still in rage.

“Demons these days have no respect.”

* * *

All the high ranking demons were currently waiting in the throne room for the coronation to start. Whispers of the mysterious new queen to be were spreading.

“Is she a succubus?”

“No no, too obvious. They must be a high ranking demon lord.”

“Perhaps the King has finally fallen for Lady Akako?”

“Lady Akako denied those claims long ago.”

Belias frowned at the gossip. It seems the king has been keeping the new queen’s identity a secret. It was a good safety measure, but how were subjects supposed to trust such a secretive king? Belias’ mind wandered until the trumpets began to blare, signaling the start of coronation.

The throne room doors opened and the king and his entourage of knights and commanders came in. One figure next to the king was covered in a dark veil, the veil of the future demon queen. The king and future queen walked to the front and stopped in front of the thrones. There, the veiled figure kneeled in front of the king and the king turned back to his subjects.

“Thank you all for attending this joyous day. I know many of you have not been to the castle since my father’s reign, which is why today I promise that I'll be a king that includes everyone in my rule.”

Applause was heard around the room at the king’s declaration. Belias snorted in disbelief, but joined the applauding crowd.

_What a bunch of shit. If he's anything like his father, then he’ll be doing everything behind the scenes._

The king gave the crowd a wide smile.

“Thank you my loyal subjects. But I shouldn't have the attention on me. Today is the coronation of my beloved queen. The one who will stay by my side to rule alongside me.”

A high ranking advisor quickly went to the king’s side and kneeled to present an obsidian crown on a pillow. The king gently took the crown in one hand and parted the veil of the other kneeling figure beside him. Underneath the veil was a smaller-horned demon with blue eyes.

…

With a very familiar reddened cheek.

The king shot a chilling glare at Belias and Belias felt himself sweating in his place at the audience.

_That demon from the library...he's the future queen?!_

A royal priest stood between the king and future queen. He had an ancient tome and read aloud.

"Do you swear to uphold your duty as queen and aid your king till the end of days?"

"I do," said the future queen. The priest said more lines in ancient demon tongue before closing the book and nodding at the king.  The king returned his gaze to the smaller demon and placed the crown on top of the veiled head. He held out a hand and the queen accepted it to stand up. The king grinned to the crowd, proudly holding the hand of his chosen queen.

“Let me all introduce you to my beloved queen: Queen Shinichi.”

All of the nobles and knights in the room immediately bowed in reverence, including Belias.

“Rise my loyal subjects. We will await you in the grand ballroom for more festivities.” The king took the newly crowned queen’s hand and went down the long hallway of the throne room. As they passed by Belias, the queen sent a sly grin to the demon, freezing him in place.

Cold chills ran through Belias. He was fucked.

* * *

The grand ballroom was filled with dancing, food, and laughter. Everyone took turns congratulating the king and queen and interrogating them on their relationship. The queen looked embarrassed as the king laughed off the rumors from fellow nobles. The king had one of his great leathery wings stretched out behind his queen in a protective gesture as guests bombarded the couple.

“Shinichi isn't a succubus. He’s...a special type of demon.”

"Shinichi's from the middle of a desert. That's why he's such a hard find. There's no one else like him." That earned the king a smack.

“Shinichi loves to read! He’s been helping out the librarians research new weapons and types of agriculture.”

“Small horns? Hmph. Who cares about that system of hierarchy anymore? I think his horns are absolutely adorable.”

The last comment made the queen blush bright red and smack the king on the shoulder. The king just laughed and used his wing to push the smaller queen into his arms for a kiss.

It was unfortunately Belias’ turn to greet the newlyweds. When he was finally in front of them, the room seemed to turn freezing cold. The previous grin on the king’s face vanished and the mirth in the queen’s eyes dimmed. Belias saw as the king’s tail wrapped around the queen’s, which meant that he sensed a threat.

Belias was sweating as he kneeled. “Congratulations on attaining a queen. May you two prosper and guide the underworld wisely.”

The king looked down at Belias and Belias felt as if he was being looked at like an insect.

“Ah, Lord Belias of the Fourth Domain correct? Thank you for your...blessing. You are excused now.”

The queen stayed silent and Belias noticed how the queen tapped his swollen cheek. The king saw the small movement and softly smiled at the queen.

“My love, are you alright?” The queen sighed at his king’s concern.

“It's nothing. Just...stings a bit.”

Belias, who already stood up and was trying to get the hell out, tensed midway and began walking at a faster pace.

The king noticed and hummed. “Hmm. Don't worry love, I'll fix everything.” The king kissed the queen’s swollen cheek, making the queen sputter.

“Not in front of everyone Kaito!”

Belias heard the crowd laugh before exiting the ballroom. He swiftly made his way to the entrance of the castle where several knights were on duty.

“Hurry and summon my chariot. I'm leaving immediately.”

The knights nodded and a few went off to get the chariot Belias arrived in. Belias kept on looking behind his shoulder to see if anyone had followed him, but no one was there. The feeling of the king's glare on his back stayed with him as he returned to his domain.

* * *

“Shinichi, you should’ve let me kill him. He ruined your otherwise perfect coronation.”

Shinichi wrapped an arm over Kaito as they laid in bed. He snuggled closer into Kaito’s chest, but winced when he brushed something on his swollen cheek. Kaito noticed the small movement and growled.

“How dare he hurt what's mine. He’s dead the next time I see him.” Shinichi kissed Kaito’s collar to alleviate his lover’s stress. It didn't really work.

“Kaito, I told you it's fine. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Shinichi still felt anger radiating from Kaito and sighed. He would have to resort to desperate measures. Shinichi stared deeply into Kaito’s eyes with the most innocent look he could muster.

“Why are you thinking of another person while in bed with me? All of your attention should be on me.”

Surprised by the tone of his queen’s voice, Kaito quietly moaned as he felt Shinichi’s hands beginning to draw patterns on his chest.

“Don't think I'll forget so easily. But you're right. Tonight is yours, my dear Shinichi. I'm sorry for getting distracted.” Kaito brought Shinichi into a deep kiss before resting his forehead on Shinichi’s.  “Forgive me?”

“Always. I'm yours Kaito.”

“As I am yours, Shinichi.”

_(To be continued in the next chapter: Coronation Night)_

* * *

**Later that night...**

Lord Belias was abruptly woken up when a foreign object was thrown at his face. He quickly opened his eyes to find that he was tightly strapped to a chair and his mouth was gagged. He groaned for help and looked around the room. Leisurely sitting there on his windowsill was King Kaito. The king held a finger to his mouth.

“Shh.”

Confused, Belias started to struggle against his restraints. He grunted loudly for help until something sharp soared through the air and stabbed him in the knee.

“MMMNNPH!”

“Quiet. You'll wake your entire castle.”

Belias looked up and met familiar blue eyes.

“!”

“Yes yes, it's me. Long time no see Lord Belias. You almost ruined my coronation you know.”

Queen Shinichi was twirling a knife in one hand while sitting on the nearby desk. Belias struggled against the bonds to no avail. Shinichi threw the knife at Belias’ other knee, making the demon lord howl in pain.

“You know how hard it was to convince my king to not slaughter you in the throne room? I had to calm him down minutes before the ceremony started. That is no easy feat.”

Belias started making pleading sounds at the king that only made Shinichi roll his eyes.

“Ah, are you begging for your life? I'm sure a great horned demon such as yourself should be able to lift those restraints.” Shinichi gave Belias the same sly smile from the coronation as another knife appeared in his hand. Belias renewed his efforts of struggle as he saw a sadistic gleam in the queen’s eyes. The queen stood up and walked to where Belias was restrained. Belias attempted to scoot away but Shinichi kept on inching closer until he was in front of the demon lord. Shinichi licked his lips in anticipation as he caressed the horns on top of Belias’ head.

“You must be quite proud of these horns. What do you think your vassals would say if they...disappeared?”

Belias continued to struggle but it was all for naught.

* * *

After returning from their nightly excursion, Kaito and Shinichi settled back into their bedroom. Kaito spooned his lover and nosed the demon’s neck.

“Now wasn’t that nice Shinichi?”

Shinichi hummed. “Mmm I suppose…”

“Don’t tell me you pitied him. He hurt you. He deserved his punishment.”

“I understand. I just wonder why I have this strange feeling in my chest.”

“Strange feeling?” Kaito put a hand to Shinichi’s forehead. “I hope you aren’t sick.”

“No. I feel fine. That’s why I feel strange. Should I really be okay with hurting him?”

Kaito sighed and kissed Shinichi’s horns, causing the demon to let out a small moan.

“It means you feel no guilt for injuring Lord Belias. Your actions were justified, therefore it was fine to hurt him.”

“I see.”

“Let’s go to sleep now my dear queen. We have a busy day ahead and I know you’re tired from today’s events.” Kaito brought Shinichi closer and Shinichi turned to lay his head on Kaito’s chest.

“Good night Kaito.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is Coronation Night. The rating will go up.


	6. Coronation Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continues off from Coronation Day before the visit to Belias.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains smut. If you would rather not read it, then exit out now. This chapter is completely irrelevant to the plot and can be skipped. You have been warned :^)

“Always. I'm yours Kaito.”

“As I am yours, Shinichi.”

Shinichi pulled Kaito’s face towards him to bring his king into a deep kiss. Kaito moaned against his queen’s soft lips and pressed harder. He nipped at Shinichi’s bottom lip, eliciting a whimper from his lover. Kaito took the opportunity to slip his tongue in and map out the inside of Shinichi’s mouth, the taste of the wine they shared before bed adding to Shinichi’s sweetness. As they separated, Kaito looked down to see Shinichi’s kiss bitten lips gasping for air. He licked his lips at the sight.

“My dear queen, you look absolutely beautiful tonight. Will you allow me the honor of being by your side?”

Shinichi gave his king a sultry, yet fond look. “There is no one else I would allow.”

Kaito smirked and began unbuttoning Shinichi’s dress shirt to reveal creamy, unmarked skin. Kaito gently ran a finger down Shinichi’s chest, causing Shinichi to shiver. The finger was tracing delicate patterns along Shinichi’s sternum and went down to dip inside the demon’s navel.

“You’re so beautiful Shinichi. Everything about you is wonderful. I love you so much my dear queen.” Shinichi laid there, flushed from all the praise.

“S-shut up. You’re the one who made me this way.”

“And I thank myself everyday for that.”

Kaito began nipping at the planes of Shinichi’s chest to leave small little marks. Red bites were littered across Shinichi’s chest and Shinichi whimpered as Kaito rubbed the bites.

“You’re like a canvas of art.” Kaito tweaked Shinichi’s nipple, causing him to whimper, “And I’m the artist.” Shinichi groaned at the cheesy line, making Kaito chuckle.

Kaito took one of Shinichi’s nipples into his mouth and swirled his tongue around the bud. Shinichi tried to stifle his moans into the pillow and Kaito stopped. He gazed at Shinichi with a playful grin.

“Let me hear you love.”

Shinichi shyly turned so that he was facing Kaito and not the pillow. Kaito smiled and pressed a kiss to Shinichi’s chest. “Thank you dear.” Kaito returned to sucking on Shinichi’s nipple and repeated the same motions on the other side. He bit down on the bud and Shinichi yelped.

“Hah...Kaito.” Kaito bit down on Shinichi’s shoulder and Shinichi yelped again. Kaito admired the rosiness of the mark and kissed Shinichi on the lips.

“This is just the beginning Shinichi.” Kaito murmured against Shinichi’s lips.

Kaito sat up and straddled Shinichi’s lap. He kissed the queen’s nose before leaning down to take one of Shinichi’s horns into his mouth to suckle it. Shinichi moaned as he felt Kaito’s tongue lap around the curves of the petite horn. Kaito’s tongue was teasing and playful and Shinichi closed his eyes in content.

Hoping to tease Shinichi even further, Kaito decided to use his teeth to nip and graze at the side of the horn. He gently bit down and received a pained whimper in return. As he heard the tiny screech, Kaito immediately released the horn from his mouth and kissed it. Looking down, Kaito saw small tears forming at the edges of Shinichi’s eyes. The king kissed them away out of remorse.

“I’m sorry dear. It won’t happen again.”

Being as gentle as could be, Kaito began to lap at Shinichi’s other horn. He wrapped his tongue around the horn and hummed. Kaito was pleased when he heard Shinichi moan loudly. Humming was okay then, perfect. After one last suck, Kaito released the horn and looked down at his lover. Shinichi was flushed all over, a little saliva sliding out of the corner of mouth. His eyes were glazed with lust and want. To believe that this was the result of only playing with Shinichi’s horns. Kaito could only imagine if…

Kaito looked down. He didn’t have to imagine anything.

Scooting downwards, Kaito removed the button on Shinichi’s pants and tossed them aside. Shinichi’s underwear was doing a poor job of hiding the queen’s hardening erection. Kaito pulled down the cloth and Shinichi’s erection was released, flushed against the queen’s stomach.

“I see you’re excited as I am.” Kaito whispered in Shinichi’s ear. Shinichi snorted and huffed at Kaito.

“Shut up.” Kaito helped Shinichi sit up against some pillows. He separated the queen’s legs and sat in the middle of the V. Kaito admired the sight and licked his lips. He placed kisses on Shinichi’s inner thighs before closing in on Shinichi’s hips. He left a cherry red mark right on Shinichi’s groin and Shinichi sighed.

“Kaito please.” Kaito looked up from his ministrations with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you need my dear?” Shinichi wiggled his hips and his erection tapped Kaito on the cheek, leaving some precum on Kaito.

Shinichi was looking down at Kaito with half-lidded eyes. “Please?”

Kaito smirked at the cute demonstration.

“All you had to do was ask my dear queen.” Kaito took ahold of Shinichi’s member and placed a kiss on the tip. He slowly engulfed the head and took his queen all the way to the base. All Kaito could hear was his queen moaning and gasping as he stayed still with the pulsating member in his mouth. Suddenly he felt soft hands take hold of his grand horns and looked up to see Shinichi biting his lips.

“K-Kai...c-can you move please?” The queen’s tone made Kaito feel soft and he quickly obliged. Kaito began sucking on Shinichi’s dick and lapping around it with his tongue. Shinichi kept a firm hold on the horns as though his life depended it. Kaito moved his head back so that only the tip was between his lips and Shinichi used the king’s horns to pull him back on. Kaito almost choked at the rough treatment, but couldn’t bring himself to blame Shinichi. This was their first time, so he’ll let it slide this time.

Kaito allowed Shinichi to use his horns to push and pull Kaito away on his dick. Kaito made sure to suck on the member as much as he could to make Shinichi scream.

“Kaito! I’m about to…”

Kaito hummed around the member, letting Shinichi know it was fine. Kaito released the member from his mouth, but not before Shinichi pulled back on the king’s horns and released, painting Kaito’s face in Shinichi’s cum. Shinichi was catching his breath from his release as Kaito blinked through the strands of cum. Kaito used his tongue to lick around his mouth and marvelled at the taste of his lover’s release. Kaito took off his own shirt and wiped his face, removing most of it. He also took the time to take off his pants and undergarments so that he was finally nude. He reached over Shinichi to grab a certain bottle from the bedside drawer. He uncorked the bottle and let the oil warm in his hand before flipping Shinichi over to his stomach.

“W-wha-? Kaito?” Kaito’s other hand took Shinichi’s tail and rubbed the long appendage, making Shinichi gasp.

“Relax Shinichi.” Kaito trailed his fingers down Shinichi’s spine until he reached the cleft of his lover’s bottom. He probed around and let a finger sit at the rim of Shinichi’s entrance. Shinichi’s breath hitched as felt one of Kaito’s fingers pass the rim and prod around. He squirmed around uncomfortably and felt Kaito rub his tail.

“Shinichi, it’s okay, Just relax. I’ll take care of you I promise.”

Kaito carefully stretched Shinichi, using the other’s tail as a means to distract from the pain. Kaito licked a long stripe on the flat side of the tail and Shinichi shivered from excitement. Kaito took the opportunity to add two more fingers and stretch his lover with scissoring motions. As he got used to the stretching, Shinichi continued to move around in anticipation. Shinichi began swaying his hips to meet the movements of Kaito’s fingers. Kaito pressed against a certain region and Shinichi squealed.

“Found your sweet spot~” Shinichi gasped as Kaito began to prod at the spot while simultaneously licking at his tail. The dual stimulation was too much and Shinichi began to melt into the bed sheets. It was only when the fingers disappeared that Shinichi turned around to see Kaito smiling at him.

“You weren’t falling asleep right?” Shinichi quickly shook his head and Kaito chuckled. “Good. We’re about to start the main event my dear queen.” Kaito used the remaining oil to lube up his erect cock. Shinichi watched in fascination as his king finished the final preparations. Kaito scooted over to the head of the bed where Shinichi was laying down.

“Oh how I’ve waited for this moment. Are you ready Shinichi?” Without hesitation, Shinichi nodded. Kaito smiled and kissed Shinichi on the lips. Kaito returned to the foot of the bed and held onto Shinichi’s hips. He positioned his cock at Shinichi’s entrance and slowly eased in. Shinichi groaned at the intrusion, Kaito being much bigger than the fingers that stretched him. Kaito once again held onto his lover’s tail and sucked on the tip as a distraction. Shinichi whimpered as he adjusted his hips. He looked back to see Kaito staring at him with lustful eyes.

“How are you Shinichi? May I move?” Shinichi timidly nodded and Kaito pressed another kiss to Shinichi’s tail. He released Shinichi’s tail and then used his own tail to intertwine them together. Kaito held onto Shinichi’s hips and pulled away only to slam back in. Shinichi cried out as Kaito reached a steady rhythm of thrusts. Shinichi screamed into the pillow as Kaito aimed his thrusts towards Shinichi’s prostate.

“Kaito, more!” Kaito tightened his hold on Shinichi’s hips.

“My pleasure dear.” Kaito roughly slammed into Shinichi and Shinichi saw stars as he came onto the bed sheets.

“Oh, you came already?” Kaito smirked as he flipped Shinichi over to his back. Shinichi was gasping for air, still out of it from his release. “That’s not fair Shinichi. Last a little longer next time okay?” Shinichi groaned as felt Kaito separate his legs and enter him again. Kaito resumed thrusting into Shinichi, making sure to aim towards Shinichi’s sweet spot. He also grabbed Shinichi’s spent dick and began pumping his lover back to full hardness. Soon enough, Shinichi was fully erect and crying from the overstimulation.

Kaito leaned down to kiss the tears away. “Don’t worry love, I’m almost there.” Shinichi whined and brought Kaito down for a sloppy, open mouthed kiss. Tongues clashed and they separated gasping for air. After several more thrusts, Kaito bit down on Shinichi’s shoulder as he finally came, wings outstretched from the release. Shinichi moaned as felt Kaito release inside him. The sensations were too much and Shinichi screamed as he also came. Shinichi’s final release covered his stomach and some drops even reached his upper chest.

After catching his breath, Kaito was gentle as he eased out of Shinichi to lay down beside him. The two were spent and out of breath as they sought out each other’s hands to interlace them.

A moment passed before Kaito went up to kiss Shinichi’s forehead. He wiped the sweat-covered hair out of Shinichi’s face and gazed down fondly.

“How was it dear?” Shinichi moved closer to Kaito’s chest and Kaito instinctively draped his wings over his lover like a cocoon.

"It was alright. Weird, but alright. Thank you.” Kaito kissed the top of Shinichi’s head.

“No need for thanks. This is what lovers do...if they wish to at least. Would you be up for this at a later date? It’s alright to decline.”

Shinichi shook his head. “If it’s okay with you, I would like to do it again.” Shinichi saw the hungry look in Kaito’s eyes and shivered. “I mean, maybe not again tonight. My, um, bottom slightly hurts.”

“Don’t worry Shinichi I understand. You have all night and tomorrow to rest.” Kaito sat up, stretching his wings out. “As for me…I have a certain errand to run.”

Shinichi tightened his grip on Kaito’s hand. “Kaito. I’m not an idiot anymore. I know what you do on your _errands_.” Shinichi tried sitting up, but winced when he felt a sharp pain in lower back. Kaito tried to push him back onto the bed, but Shinichi waved him off.

“Please rest my queen. I’ll handle this.” Shinichi frowned at his king and shoved him away.

“You would rather visit Lord Belias than enjoy our post-coital bliss...I’m almost jealous. Let me handle this. You can rest my dear king.”

The king was about to argue, but came up with a splendid idea. Kaito gave his queen a sly smile.

“Why don’t we both pay a visit to Lord Belias...we can make it our honeymoon.”

Shinichi gave Kaito a deadpan look. “I refuse to have our honeymoon at some idiot lord’s castle.”

“So is that a yes to both of us going?” Shinichi sat in thought for a moment before finally relenting.

“Fine. But I get to maim him.” Kaito brought Shinichi into a tight hug.

“I love you so much Shinichi.”

“I love you too Kaito. Now let’s go. I want to sleep in tomorrow. In fact, why don’t you carry me there? My back hurts.”

“Yes dear~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s not going to be addressed in the main story, but the reason for Shinichi’s lack of refractory periods is due to Kaito making him that way. It’s also why he came way more times than Kaito. It’s also just kinkier that way.


	7. Queenly Duties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A romantic date for the king and queen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this chapter has been ready for a while, but I went to Fanime and then got a bunch of hours at work.

“You said we would be spending the entire day together.”

“And we are.”

“I thought it would be more romantic. Not,” Shinichi gestured to the throne room that was full of nobles, “public.”

“I’m not a liar Shinichi.”

Shinichi crossed his arms and looked away. “I still feel deceived.”

Shinichi was currently pouting next to Kaito as he sat on the adjacent throne to the king. Today was tax review day in the kingdom and dozens of nobles were getting their finances reviewed by the monarchs and several other auditors.

“You have to be present my dear queen. You’re an authority figure now.”

Shinichi mumbled something about returning the crown, but Kaito just chuckled and tossed another noble’s packet towards Shinichi.

“Here you go. Review Lady Roselie’s property values and returns.” Shinichi groaned and began flipping through the papers, looking bored.

“All the numbers add up. Give me the next one.” Shinichi threw the packet to the side where an auditor was waiting to sign and approve it.

Kaito grinned. “Oh, so you’re finally into it now?”

Shinichi glared at his king with a dark frown. “Of course not. The sooner we get through this, the sooner I can take a nap.” Kaito laughed and gestured at the general standing beside him. Hakuba presented the queen with a stack of papers.

“Since you asked so kindly.”

Shinichi sighed and began sifting through the stacks of papers. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Several hours later, the amount of nobles in the throne room trickled down to single digits. Shinichi sighed as he approved another noble’s documents. He began to slouch in his throne and rested his head against his hand.

“If I knew that this was a queen’s duties, I would have declined.”

Kaito gasped. “I thought you loved me?”

“I do. I just don’t like... _t_ _his._ ” Shinichi pointed at the stack of completed papers to his right. Kaito chuckled.

“Not everyday is a vacation Shinichi. This is a royal’s duty. Taking care of our kingdom is our top priority. You’ll understand sooner or later. Didn’t you want to help me rule this kingdom?”

That made Shinichi feel slightly guilty. He nodded and returned to his final packet.

Shinichi focused on the paperwork until he heard Kaito excitedly yell out “Lord Arten!”.

Shinichi looked up to see a somewhat elderly devil-class demon walking down the throne room. The demon had graying hair on his head and goatee. Shinichi’s eyes were also drawn to the demon lord’s medium-sized antelope horns. He was definitely a noble class.

Kaito stood up and met the demon halfway to bring the demon into an embrace. 

“Lord Arten, you didn’t have to come all the way here. You should’ve just sent a messenger or something.”

The elder laughed and patted the king on the back.

“Dear boy—ah, I shouldn’t be calling you boy anymore. My king, a trip to your splendid palace is always worth it.” The demon held up a stack of papers that Shinichi had seen hundreds of times today. “Besides, it is tax season after all.”

Kaito laughed and took the packet. “I’m sure everything is clear on your end Lord Arten.” He took Lord Arten by the wrist and led him to the front of the room where Shinichi was sitting on his throne. “Let me introduce you two. Shinichi, this is a very old friend of my father’s: Lord Arten.”

Shinichi nodded and stood from his throne. Arten respectfully bowed before taking Shinichi’s hand to place a kiss on his knuckles.

“It is an honor to meet you Queen Shinichi.”

“Likewise Lord Arten.” Kaito handed Shinichi Lord Arten’s paperwork.

“Can you approve it real quick? It’s been ages since I’ve last seen. He’s a really close family friend. One of the most loyal ones out there.”

Lord Arten looked bashful as he turned red from embarrassment. “My king, your words are too kind.”

Shinichi nodded and returned to his throne to begin flipping through the papers as Kaito began catching up with Lord Arten. Lord Arten looked at Shinichi with wariness.

“Ah my king, why don’t you approve it? I’m sure looking through my papers would be a waste of the queen’s time.”

Kaito laughed and gave Lord Arten a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry Lord Arten, you’re in good hands.” The demon lord felt a slight pressure on his shoulder. “Unless...you for some reason think that Shinichi’s incapable or something.”

Lord Arten shook his head. “Of course not. I trust your queen.”

Kaito smirked. “Good, let’s keep it that way. So how’s the wife and children? Any grandchildren?”

As Lord Arten talked about his family, Shinichi squinted at the documents. There was something off with the math. He gestured to Hakuba to come forward.  Shinichi pointed at several lines.

“I’m not the only one seeing this right?” whispered Shinichi. Hakuba took a sheet and read down the list.

“It seems you’re correct. There are several missing numbers and incorrect statements.”

“Did you also notice Lord Arten’s behavior?”

Hakuba raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

“The entire time he’s been here, he’s been slightly sweating. Plus I can see tremors going through him.” Shinichi paused to take a quick glance at the demon lord currently chatting with the king. “It’s clearly evident that he’s trying to hide something.”

“Perhaps we should alert the king?” suggested Hakuba, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. Shinichi pursed his lips.

“I can do it. No need for violence.” Hakuba relaxed his hand.

“You have matured.” Shinichi pouted at Hakuba.

“You’re still mean.” Hakuba snorted. As Shinichi stood up, Hakuba followed behind him. They approached the king and Lord Arten with neutral faces that contrasted with the previously jovial conversation. Kaito looked up and smiled at his queen.

“Oh Shinichi, did something happen?”

Shinichi pointed at a certain column of the sheet. “There are several inconsistencies with Lord Arten’s paperwork.”

“Inconsistencies?!” exclaimed Lord Arten, “Impossible. All of that was done by me.”

“By you?” Shinichi raised an eyebrow at the offended lord. “You may want to check your math then Lord Arten. You seem to be missing over several hundred thousands worth of taxes owed to the kingdom.”

The demon lord turned to the king beseechingly. “My king, please don’t listen to him. My documents are impeccable. Perhaps your queen isn’t very good at mathematics.”

“Did you just imply that I’m terrible at math? A simpleton could see that half of this paperwork was forged...badly.” Shinichi handed the packet to Kaito. “If you don’t believe me, then see for yourself.”

Lord Arten’s face turned red from anger. “My king, whose word would you take: me or this idiot—“

Kaito shot Lord Arten a cold glare that instantly silenced him.

“Did you just insult my queen? That alone warrants punishment, friend or not.” Kaito returned his attention to the paperwork. Shinichi watched as Kaito’s face settled into one of displeasure. Kaito gave Lord Arten a sideways glance.

“So Lord Arten, can you explain yourself? Why are there so many missing values?” Lord Arten backed away.

“My king, I can explain! It’s just—” Kaito just sighed.

“It seems that even the most oldest of friends cannot be trusted. Guards, take the lord away for questioning.”

Several of the guards rushed over and took Lord Arten by the arms. Arten attempted to struggle out of the guards’ grip.

“No! You cannot do this to me! Your father would never—”

“My father is dead. He’s no longer here. I’m the king now.” Kaito glared at the lord being taken away. “Send someone over to his property. We need to see what else he could possibly be hiding.” The guards took the demon lord out of the throne room, leaving everyone else in silence. Shinichi put a hand on Kaito’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry, but it was for the best Kaito.”

“Thank you for catching it Shinichi.” Kaito pressed on his queen’s hand that was on his shoulder. “It seems I can’t trust anyone but my inner circle.”   

The sound of slow clapping began to fill the room. Shinichi turned to the source of the sound to see a female devil-class demon walking down the throne room. Her horns were similar to Kaito’s; medium-sized ram horns nestled in maroon-colored hair. Her wings were folded behind her and her spade-shaped tail was swaying back and forth in amusement. Her smile was familiar, but Shinichi couldn’t quite place it. She stopped clapping and grinned at the king and queen.

“Well done Kaito. I didn’t think you would actually find yourself a queen.” Shinichi didn’t even realize that Hakuba and the other guards were bowing towards the figure. He looked at Kaito who had an exasperated face.

“Well you could have met Shinichi a long time ago if you actually showed up to his coronation. I sent you two invites!” The woman laughed and ran up to Kaito and Shinichi to bring them into a hug. Shinichi was startled but calmed down when he was finally released. The female demon kept an arm around Kaito, which slightly annoyed Shinichi.

“If I may ask, who are you? And why are you so familiar with my king?” asked Shinichi whilst giving the demon an irritated look. The demon simply smiled and began ruffling Kaito’s hair, causing Shinichi to become even more vexed.

“Kaito hasn’t told you about me? How rude.” She kept the same smile at Shinichi who felt like blowing up. His tail was curling in displeasure.

Kaito pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “You just never came up okay?”

“Inever came up? Or were you just too embarrassed to mention me?” Kaito shrugged the woman’s arm off.

“I wasn’t embarrassed!” Shinichi shyly pulled on Kaito’s sleeve, and Kaito softly smiled at him. “Oh dear, are you jealous of her Shinichi? You don’t need to be.”

“I-I’m not jealous!” Shinichi’s puffed out cheeks and pout told Kaito otherwise.

The female demon went over and held one of Shinichi’s hands, causing him to flinch. “There’s nothing to worry about Shinichi dear! I’m the General of Foreign Affairs and Kaito’s mother, Chikage!” Shinichi’s eyes widened and he almost choked on air.

“Kaito’s...mother?! Wha—?”

“And since you two are now legally bound, I’m your mother as well.” She brought Shinichi into a hug. Still surprised by the series of events, Shinichi was unmoving in her arms. “So who are my in-laws? I don’t think I’ve heard anything about Shinichi’s family before.”

Shinichi hesitated before saying, “I never had a parent before. Kaito and everyone here in the castle is my first and only family.” Chikage felt tears welling up in her eyes and dabbed at them with a handkerchief.

“An orphan? Oh you poor thing. You can call me Mama if you want.” Hakuba looked like he wanted to interject but Kaito shot him a stern glare.

“Mama.” Shinichi tested the word on his tongue. “It sounds nice.”

“Shinichi you don’t actually have to call her that. I don’t even call her that.” Chikage released Shinichi from her tight hug to slap her son on the head.

“Shinichi may call me whatever he would like. Let him be.” Kaito rubbed his head, frowning. His mother was insane. He gave his mom an annoyed glare.

“So what are you really here for? Shouldn’t the General of Foreign Affairs be on  _f_ _oreign_ grounds?”

“Ah, yes about that.” She quickly glanced around the room. “Can you excuse your guards for a moment. This is top secret information.”

Kaito nodded at Hakuba and Hakuba ordered the rest of the auditors and knights in the throne room to leave. This left Shinichi, Kaito, Chikage, and Hakuba as the sole occupants of the room. Chikage took a deep breath before taking on a serious face.

“Several villages on the eastern border have been razed. It seems to be from Azerian forces, but I cannot say for sure. I suggest sending an envoy to Azeria and scouts to other border villages to confirm their intentions.”

“Intentions?” asked Shinichi.

“She means that this could be a declaration of war.” explained Hakuba, “We have a neutrality pact with Azeria, but if they truly are the ones who destroyed the villages, then the pact is null. The next stage—”

“In short, if they are encroaching on my territory, then this could mean war,” finished Kaito. “I’ll give Azeria the benefit of the doubt. I’ll send the envoy as you suggested. The destruction of the villages could be due to bandits or something.”

Chikage nodded. “Wise decision my king. Don’t forget to send aid to the villages as well.”

“Of course. I’ll have Aoko start preparing shelters around the town as well as the bordering towns for displaced villagers.”

Shinichi felt the atmosphere in the room was tense. The thought of war was weighing down on everyone’s minds. Shinichi had only read what war was in textbooks...but to possibly experience it firsthand was frightening. He felt a knot forming in his stomach at the looming war that could happen at any moment.

The atmosphere was abruptly broken when Kaito put an arm around Shinichi’s shoulder to bring his queen closer.

“Even if we did go to war, I’d win in a heartbeat. Especially with Shinichi at my side. With him, I’m invincible!” Kaito pressed a kiss to Shinichi’s cheek, causing the queen to sputter and push his king away.

“K-Kaito! Not in front of everyone!” Kaito only latched himself to Shinichi’s side to nose at Shinichi’s hair.

“You should get used to this by now. And there’s only family here. They should be used to it too.”

Chikage cooed at the two and Hakuba gave the two a deadpan look.

“I’m not.” said Hakuba with his hand raised.

Kaito stuck his tongue out at his general. “Shut up Hakuba. No one asked you.”

* * *

That night, Shinichi, Kaito, and Chikage had a private dinner in the garden gazebo. Shinichi was still slicing his steak when Chikage began bombarding him with questions.

“So Shinichi, how old are you? What are your hobbies? How can you love someone like my son?”

Kaito pouted. “Wow Mom, thanks for the ego boost.”

Shinichi swallowed a forkful of steak before saying, “I’m about twelve months old.”

Chikage burst out laughing, “Don’t you mean twelve hundred years dear?”

Shinichi shook his head. “No...I’ve been at the castle for about twelve months...so I should be twelve months old.”

A tense silence similar to the previous one in the throne room enveloped the gazebo before Chikage’s hand shot out to grip Kaito’s arm.

“Kaito…”

“LET ME EXPLAIN! I’M NOT A CRADLE ROBBER I SWEAR.”

_A few minutes later_

“So he was...born like that?”

Shinichi and Kaito nodded.

“And you fell in love with him the moment you met him?”

Shinichi and Kaito nodded.

An uncontrollable smile emerged on Chikage’s face. It made Kaito and Shinichi shudder in fear. 

“That story reminds me of your father and I. A whirlwind romance! ‘Like father, like son’ I suppose.” Chikage cooed at the two and reached out to rub Shinichi's shoulders. Shinichi gently removed her hand.

“Kaito has never spoken about his father. What was he like?” asked Shinichi.

Chikage had a faraway look on her face as she smiled at Shinichi. “He was such a kind demon, which was why other demons didn’t like him as king. He was generous, yet ruthless when it came to those who broke the law. A just and fair king.”

“What happened to him?” Chikage’s eyes darkened.

“He was betrayed by his council. Assassinated by those he promised to collaborate with.”

Shinichi had a downcast look. “I’m sorry to hear that Mama.”

Chikage perked up at that. “No worries dear. Afterwards, I became interim king until Kaito ascended to the throne.”

“He didn’t become king right away?” 

Kaito snorted. “Nah, the stupid council at the time had this rule where there had to be a unanimous decision.”

“So how did you get everyone’s favor?”

Kaito smirked. “Easy. I killed everyone who disagreed with my claim to the throne.”

Chikage sipped at her tea while Shinichi stared wide-eyed at Kaito.

Kaito continued to look smug. “I abolished the old council and formed my own. You’ve met the top three Shinichi.”

“Three?”

“Aoko, Akako, and Saguru.”

“Saguru?” Shinichi hasn’t met anyone named Saguru yet...

“Hakuba. I don’t call him by his first name to his face.”

There was a pause as Shinichi sighed and rubbed his temples. “I thought his name was Hakuba this entire time.”

“Shinichi, you’ve been here for an entire year and you thought his name was Hakuba the entire time?”

Shinichi was cherry red as he nodded. Kaito and Chikage laughed and somewhere in the castle, Hakuba sneezed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just kidding there was plot.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed :)


	8. A Real Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another filler chapter :) enjoy!

“A-a date?” Shinichi was caught off guard by Kaito’s sudden proposition.

“Yes. A date. Would you like to go on one with me?” 

“...Is it more tax reviews?”

Kaito chuckled. “No dear, I’m taking you out for a proper date. I’d like to take you out into town. In disguise of course.”

“Won’t Akako and Hakuba get mad that we’re sneaking away?”

“Psh. Forget them. We haven’t had a day off in a while. Besides, we aren’t even going that far. The castle is five minutes away by flight.”

Shinichi held his chin in contemplation. The last time he was able to visit the town that was adjacent to the castle was the day after his coronation for a royal procession. He wasn’t even allowed to fall out of step, lest he wanted to be scolded by Hakuba or Aoko.

Shinichi nodded. “As long as I’m with you, I’d go anywhere.”

Kaito grinned and picked up Shinichi bridal style, causing the queen to squeak in surprise. His great wings stretched out behind him. He kissed Shinichi in the forehead and approached the balcony.

“Well let’s go then!”

* * *

Kaito landed a few feet away from the gates of the town entrance. He let Shinichi down gently and folded his wings. Shinichi handed him a cloak and the two put on their disguises and entered the town.

Kaito reached for Shinichi’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “You really should learn how to fly Shinichi.”

Shinichi snorted. “Who’s the one that’s too busy to teach me?”

Kaito stifled a laugh as he began to look at the vendors that lined the main roadway. “There are others who can teach you just as well as I could.”

“But I want  _ you _ to teach me.”

“Oh dear, have I spoiled you?”

Shinichi let out an affronted gasp and tightly squeezed the king’s hand that he was holding. Kaito held back a chuckle at his dear queen’s behavior. Shinichi was definitely spoiled.

“Alright dear, let me show you the sights of our castle town.” Kaito gestured to the vendors, “This is the main road. It branches to several other districts. This area is the market.”

“Figures from all the stalls selling food.”

“...Ooh are you getting mouthy with me? I didn’t expect a rebellious streak from you.”

“Shut up. Shouldn’t you be more courteous? I thought this was a date.”

Shinichi released Kaito’s hand and began walking towards the center of the market stalls. Kaito followed behind him closely, carefully watching their surroundings. Kaito watched as Shinichi’s eyes glinted with interest at a sweets booth. The pair stopped and looked at the various candies for sale.

Shinichi felt as Kaito began rubbing his back. “Would you like anything dear?” whispered Kaito. 

Shinichi hummed as his eyes roved over the booth. There was something he wanted but…

“If I get honeydew melon sticks and eat them before dinner, would you get mad?”

“Of course not. It’ll be my treat,” cooed Kaito. He retrieved some gold coins from his pocket and handed it to the stall’s owner. Shinichi was handed a bag of honeydew melon sticks and he held them tightly to his chest. He smiled up at Kaito.

“Thank you Kaito.”

“No need for thanks my dear. Your smile is worth a thousand thank you’s.”

Shinichi blushed and was about to retort until he was roughly shoved into Kaito. Kaito grabbed onto Shinichi’s shoulders to steady his lover. He glared at the retreating figure that had bumped his Shinichi and noted the direction they were walking. He turned back to Shinichi.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah.” Shinichi was gripping onto Kaito’s cloak, until he realized he was missing something. “My honeydew melon!”

“Hm?”

“The candy you just bought me! It’s missing!” 

Kaito looked around the floor to see if Shinichi had just dropped it, but it was nowhere in sight. He squinted at a certain figure in the distance. 

“Wait here. I’ll retrieve your candy.”

“Huh? Where—"

Kaito was already fast walking towards the suspect. Kaito shot a brisk hand towards the figure’s shoulder and turned them around. It was a young devil-class demon with horns that were still in their developing phase. Kaito glared down at the child.

“You have something of mine. Return it.”

The devil was too shocked to respond. Kaito’s eyes narrowed.

“Return the candy you stole. Now.” Kaito’s other hand was outstretched, waiting for the candy. Slowly, the devil reached into their pocket and brought out the bag of honeydew melon sticks.

“Stop! You don’t have to!” Kaito turned and saw that Shinichi had caught up with him. 

“I told you to wait by the stall.”

“And I did. For a few seconds. Now I’m here.” Shinichi turned to the child. “It’s fine you can keep them.” The young demon was on the brink of tears as Kaito released them and they ran towards a different district. 

The monarchs watched as the young demon met up with a group of other young demons and began to distribute the candy among themselves. Shinichi smiled at the sight. 

“That was quite selfless of you Shinichi.” Kaito patted Shinichi on the head. “That’s a good quality for a queen.”

“It was the right thing to do. I wasn’t going to fight a child for my sweets.” Shinichi was slowly melting into Kaito’s hand. Kaito noticed and chuckled. He wasn’t going to allow the public to see his beloved’s vulnerable side. He stopped and held onto Shinichi’s hand once again. 

“Come on. I’ll buy you some more candy and I’ll take you to the grand fountain. I’m a few moments, there’s a water show that the nymphs put on for entertainment.”

Shinichi’s eyes brightened and they returned to the previous stall for more sweets.

* * *

As they watched the water show, Kaito leaned in to whisper in Shinichi’s ear.

“Now do you see why our duty is so important?” 

Shinichi turned to Kaito and tilted his head in confusion. Kaito smiled at his lover’s innocent look.

“There are demons starving in our country, yet nobles like Lord Arten have the gall to hoard money all to themselves. The corruption in this country can be lessened if we work together.”

Shinichi brought their joined hands up and placed a kiss on Kaito’s hand.

“Together then. I’ll be with you together forever.” 

Kaito felt a gentle warmth go throughout his body. There was no one else he would rather be with.

* * *

“And where the hell were you two all day?” Hakuba glared at the king and queen who were trying to avoid the stern gaze of their general.

“We were busy frolicking in the gardens.” said Kaito as Shinichi tried to swallow the rest of his candy.

The two returned to the castle after a peaceful day at town. When they returned to their room’s balcony, Hakuba was waiting for them in the middle of the room, leaving the two without much time to come up with an excuse.

“Lies. The garden was the first place I checked.” Hakuba turned his glare to Shinichi and raised an eyebrow. Shinichi began to feel a cold sweat run down his back. Hakuba squinted at the queen. “And just what is in your mouth?”

Shinichi swallowed the rest of the candy. “Nothing.” Hakuba groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What the hell am I going to do with you two?” Kaito shot him a playful smirk.

“Nothing at all! What I want to know is why you are in our private chambers.” Kaito said with his tail swaying flippantly behind him.

“Ah yes. We have our response from Azeria. We were waiting for you to open the package.”

“Ah, so Azeria responded already. That was quite fast.” Kaito removed the cloaks that he and Shinichi were wearing. “Well, now that we’re presentable, let’s not keep the council waiting.”

The three made their way to the council room where Aoko, Chikage, Akako, and several other council members were waiting. In the middle of the room was a medium-sized box that contained runes native to Azeria. Shinichi smelled something strange in the room but decided not to say anything because of the serious atmosphere of the room.

“Sorry to keep everyone waiting.” Kaito said as he stood at the head of the room. “We were slightly caught up in something. But now we’re here to see what our dear friends in Azeria have replied.” Kaito’s nose twitched. “Is someone wearing foul perfume? If so, change it immediately for everyone’s sake.”

Kaito and Shinichi walked to the center of the room where the box innocently stayed.

“I already scanned it for traps. It’s just a box,” said Akako. “However, I find it strange that the envoys we sent have still not returned.”

“The envoys haven’t returned?” repeated Shinichi. The others in the room shook their heads. Shinichi heard as the box’s hinge creaked.

“...I have found our envoys.” declared Kaito solemnly. Shinichi turned to peer into the box and inhaled sharply.

Inside of the box were the decapitated heads of the envoys that were sent to Azeria. Everyone in the room was pinching their noses to avoid the awful smell. Kaito quickly closed the box and set it on fire. The smoke of the flames mixed with the smell of the room.

“Alert their families.” Aoko nodded and wrote something down in her clipboard.

Shinichi frowned. “So what does this mean?”

“What it means my dear Shinichi,” said Kaito with a dark smile on his face, “is that we are going to declare war on Azeria.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just kidding I snuck in some plot at the end.


	9. The Queen and the General

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update so that the next update will coincide with a certain day...
> 
> The chapter that'll make readers second-guess if this fic is KaiShin or SaguShin. 
> 
> Also, many of you were excited at the concept of the war...I'd just like to point at my Fate!AU and say sorry in advance to those who were expecting a lot of war.
> 
> With that said, enjoy Ch9

The next day, Kaito had his council in front of him as he announced, “Akako, you’re going to Azeria Castle with me. Aoko, Hakuba, and Shinichi will stay in the castle and defend it.”

Both Hakuba and Shinichi stood up, their chairs squeaking against the floor. Both yelled simultaneously.

“Kaito you can’t just leave me!”

“Are you serious? I’m the general! I should be on the front lines!” 

Kaito held up a hand to silence the two. “Sorry, I’m the king and I make the rules. You two can stay here while Akako and I deal with Azeria real quick.”

Shinichi scowled. “I want to go to Azeria too!”

Kaito flippantly waved his hand. “Think about it this way Shinichi, we need at least one monarch here to keep the peace.” Shinichi frowned. He couldn’t think of a clear argument and sat back down, arms crossed and steaming with anger. 

“Then why am I not going?” Hakuba said angrily. 

“In the small chance that Azeria launches a sneak attack, I need my general to defend my castle and queen.” 

Hakuba scowled and sat back down. 

Kaito looked at the two angry figures before smiling at Akako. “Well this war council is over. Akako, prepare your bags, we leave at dawn.” Akako nodded and left the room. Hakuba also stood up and Aoko followed him as he briskly exited the room. This left Kaito alone with Shinichi. 

“Shinichi…” Kaito tried to pick up Shinichi’s hand but Shinichi quickly tore it from his grip. “I’d love for you to come and see me—”

“Then why can’t I go with you?!” said Shinichi, glaring at his king. 

“Like I said, the people may need you for guidance while I’m gone. Besides, Akako and I have to stop by numerous villages that have been sacked by Azeria.” Kaito bit his lip. “You wouldn’t really enjoy the sights if what the reports were saying are true.”

“You said you would be invincible if I were by your side,” said Shinichi, eyes downcast.

“And I will be. Knowing that you’re here safe and sound is all I need to win.” Kaito pulled Shinichi into a hug. “I just want you safe.”

“And I just want to be with you.”

“I promise I’ll return fast. And I’ll make it up to you.”

Shinichi pouted. This wasn’t over yet.

* * *

Shinichi woke up annoyed and irate as he realized that Kaito lied and left at midnight. Hakuba was outside his door, waiting.

“He left.” Shinichi stated with a deadpan voice.

Hakuba nodded. “Earlier than expected. Perhaps he wanted to return faster.”

Shinichi’s frown darkened. “I don’t care. I want to follow him.”

“...As do I.”

Shinichi looked up in shock. He didn’t think that Hakuba would actually agree with him. Hakuba snorted at Shinichi’s reaction.

“Don’t look so dumbfounded. I disagreed with his decision from the beginning just like you.” 

“Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go to Azeria!” Shinichi rushed forward only for the collar of his shirt to be pulled back by the General.

“Let’s consult a few others before we’re labeled as missing.”

“...R-right.”

* * *

“Azeria?! I thought you were ordered to stay here?” screamed Aoko. Chikage stood by her side in the domestic affairs office where Hakuba and Shinichi found the two.

“I want to be by Kaito’s side. Please let us go.” pleaded Shinichi, eyes filled with fierce determination. “I need to see this through with him every step of the way.”

“Hmmm...but wouldn’t you be a hindrance?” Chikage said with a raised eyebrow. “What if you were used as a distraction for Kaito? Then going there would be detrimental for both you and him.”

“That’s why I’ll be there.” Hakuba pointed to himself. “It’s my duty to protect them.” 

Aoko turned to the general. “Saguru, are you sure?” Aoko looked at her husband who only responded with a stern nod.

Chikage pursed her lips while Aoko looked at them uncertainty. Shinichi observed as the nekomata’s tail curled in nervously while nothing of Chikage’s posture betrayed her emotions.

“Please, let me and Hakuba go.” Shinichi’s sincerity did not go unnoticed by the female demons.

Chikage smiled as she went forward to put her hand on Shinichi’s shoulder, “Alright alright. We’ll let you go.”

“W-we’re letting them go? Why?!” exclaimed Aoko incredulously.

“Yes. If we say no, they’ll just sneak off anyway. At least this way, they have our blessings.” Chikage grinned deviously. “However, there is a catch to our agreement.”

“I’ll do anything.” Shinichi said, eyes already shining.

“You will promise to meet up with Kaito and Akako and tell them that you yourselves decided to disobey orders and meet with them.”

Hakuba grunted in agreement. “Understood. I can send a carrier hawk to their positions and set up a rendezvous point immediately. They should still be distributing village aid.”

“I agree too. Kaito can just yell at us later. I don’t feel like sitting in this castle while he confronts an entire kingdom,” added Shinichi, “I want him safe too.”

A soft look was painted on Chikage’s face as she pulled Shinichi into a quick embrace before kissing his cheek.

“Your concern for my dear Kaito is absolutely adorable Shinichi. Now go on, the druid can teleport you to the Azerian border, but from there, you’ll have to travel by foot.”

Oh right, neither of them could use their wings. Shinichi had already forgotten.

“Alright Mama, Aoko! We will return home safely. Wait for us!” Shinichi saluted to Chikage and Aoko and dashed out of the room to prepare himself. 

Hakuba bowed towards Chikage before holding Aoko’s hand to place a kiss on her knuckles.

“We will both return safely with the king and Lady Akako.”

* * *

About a half an hour later, Shinichi arrived in the summoning druid’s room with a satchel of food and basic necessities. Hakuba was already there fiddling with the leg of his carrier hawk.

Shinichi stood next to Hakuba as he admired the hawk’s plumage. “How do you know that your hawk will find Kaito and Akako?”

“The hawk was a gift from Lady Akako. She enchanted him to be able to find us anywhere, anytime.” Hakuba said as he finally attached the note to the bird’s legs. The hawk leapt and took flight towards the sky.

Shinichi whistled. “Impressive.”

“Lady Akako has many gifts...but not all of them are as good as Watson.”

“Watson?”

“The name of my hawk.”

“Ah. That's a nice name.”

The druid patiently stood to the side as he waited for Hakuba and Shinichi to finish their conversation. The two finally noticed they were making him wait and went to stand in the middle of the magic circle drawn into the floor.

“The spell can only take you to the Azerian border. Ready?” asked the druid as wisps of magical air began to flurry around them.

“Ready!” cried the two. The druid raised a staff and chanted in ancient demon tongue.

In a flash of dazzling light, the two disappeared.

* * *

Azeria was known for its lush forests and valleys. It was no surprise that Shinichi and Hakuba would land on a tree. Fortunately, Hakuba fell first and Shinichi fell on top of him. Shinichi got a bruise on his arm from landing on Hakuba’s heavy metal armor, but it was better than breaking a bone.

The two trekked through the forest until something caught on Shinichi’s foot.

“A-Ah!” Shinichi crumpled to the forest floor, clutching his ankle. Hakuba quickly turned around and kneeled down beside the queen.

“What’s wrong? Did you trip?”

“My foot got caught in something.” Shinichi moved his hands away from his ankle. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the queen’s ankle was stuck in a rotting tree root. Hakuba took ahold of the root and ripped it from the ground. He tossed it to the side.

“There. Let’s hurry, we have to rendezvous with the king and Lady Akako.” Hakuba turned around and began walking away.

“Right!” Shinichi stood up for a few seconds before collapsing back down to the ground. “Ow! It hurts.”

Hakuba immediately returned to the queen’s side. Kneeling down, he inspected Shinichi’s ankle. It was a blotchy red color. Hakuba gently prodded around and Shinichi whimpered in pain.

“You seem to have sprained your ankle. Hurry and heal it.”

“I-I can’t. Akako never taught me any healing spells.”

“Are you kidding me right now? Healing is a basic necessity.” Shinichi pouted.

“Alright then, why don’t you heal me?”

Hakuba turned slightly red as he looked away. “...As a knight, I never bothered to learn healing magic.”

Shinichi crossed his arms and stuck his tongue out at Hakuba.

“So now what?” asked Shinichi. Hakuba looked around at their surroundings. They were still deep in enemy territory, somewhere Hakuba didn’t really want to be in.

“We need to continue onwards.”

Shinichi looked away as he said, “...If you want, you can leave me here. You can get help once you meet up with everyone else.”

Hakuba defiantly shook his head. “I refuse to leave an ally behind, especially the queen of my kingdom.”

Shinichi blushed. It was the first time the general acknowledged him as the queen. Shinichi cradled his ankle as he thought of other options.

“Well, you can carry me I guess. I know you’re strong enough to lift me.”

“I suppose there is no other way.” Hakuba crouched down, arms ready to grab Shinichi’s legs, “Get on my back.”

Shinichi tapped on the general’s armor. “Um I’m not sure this will work out. You have some spikes on your armor’s shoulder pads. I don’t want to graze my arm.”

Hakuba groaned. He forgot about that detail.

“Fine then.” He turned around and scooped up Shinichi in his arms. Shinichi let out a high pitched squeak as he was lifted up. He instinctively looped his arms around Hakuba’s neck as the general adjusted his grip on the queen, making sure not to flatten the other’s exposed tail.

“There. Are you comfortable?” Shinichi timidly nodded. “Alright let’s carry on,”

“T-thank you Saguru.”

Hakuba stopped mid-step.

“E-excuse me?”

Shinichi gasped and put a hand over his mouth. Hakuba looked down at the embarrassed demon in his arms as Shinichi squirmed around.

“I...Sorry.” Shinichi was pointedly trying to avoid the general’s gaze.

Hakuba sighed. “I’m not angry. I was just caught off guard. I...don’t mind.”

“R-really? I can call you,” Shinichi hesitated before whispering, “Saguru?”

“It’s fine. It’s just my name. You are the queen, you can call me whatever you wish.”

"Oh. Okay then...Saguru.”

Hakuba couldn’t help the slight blush on his face as he trekked through the forest with his queen in tow. He walked slowly as to not jostle the queen’s ankle. Shinichi kept a tight grip around the general’s neck as they eventually reached the rendezvous point. There, Akako and Kaito were sitting on a rock until they noticed the other demons’ presence. Kaito’s frown quickly disappeared. He hurriedly jumped from the rock and ran towards the two, pure concern etched on his face.

“Shinichi! Dear, what happened?” Kaito’s eyes were drawn to the queen’s red, swollen ankle. “Oh my, this looks terrible. Akako, come here for a moment.”

Akako slowly approached them and saw the problem. She murmured some words under her breath and gently tapped the queen’s ankle. A green mist came from the mage’s finger and wrapped itself around the swollen area. The redness subsided and the foot was realigned.

“There. All better Queen Shinichi?” asked Akako. Shinichi nodded and Hakuba gently lowered him to the ground. Shinichi, arms still looped around Hakuba’s neck, put light pressure on his foot and found no pain. He released Hakuba and stood on his own feet.

“Thank you Akako. It feels much better.” Shinichi said as he smiled at the grand mage. Akako simply smirked.

Shinichi turned around to face the General. “And thank you so much for carrying me Saguru. You’re so reliable!”

Hakuba’s eyes widened at the praise and he couldn’t control the blush that spread across his cheeks. He coughed into his hands to try and hide it.

“It was nothing. Merely my duty as your general my queen.” Shinichi smiled at the general and Hakuba couldn’t help but return a small smile.

To the side, Kaito squinted at the exchange. “And when exactly did you two get so buddy buddy? Where did this development come from?”

Akako pinched the king’s ear and pulled him away. “You should be glad they are finally getting along.”

* * *

_ Somewhere else: _

“It’s been so long. I can finally sense One again.”

“Really? Where?”

“We must head north.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter next week :0
> 
> Hope everyone enjoyed!


	10. Azeria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow...we're at Chapter 10. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy Azeria. Semi-important notice at the end.

After settling down from their small reunion, Kaito flicked both Shinichi and Hakuba on their noses.

Shinichi held a hand up to his now reddened nose. “Ow! What was that for?”

“For disobeying orders. I told you two to stay home. And where are you?” Kaito gestured to the forest around them. “Not home.”

Hakuba rubbed his nose. “It was for the greater good. Lady Chikage and Aoko are still at the castle so you don’t really need to worry.”

“You’re lucky mom’s home. If she wasn’t, I would’ve been double mad.” Kaito said as he scowled. Akako stifled a laugh from behind him.

“Well if you ask me, I think it’s a nice surprise that they came.” Akako smirked at the two. “Now I don’t have to exert myself as much.”

Hakuba gave the mage a deadpan look. “Of course you wanted to avoid work.”

Akako’s smug face said it all. Kaito rolled his eyes and snorted.

“You barely even use your own energy Akako.” Akako giggled to herself as Kaito pouted. “I swear, you two are too much…but don’t worry, I’ll put you both to work.”

Shinichi quietly laughed at the three. They all gave him a weird look. Finally, Kaito grabbed Shinichi’s hand and started marching away.

“Well, what are waiting for? I have a country to conquer!”

* * *

The four stood a distance away from Azeria Castle and surveyed the area. The stone castle was around three floors with archers posted at each tier of the castle. Sensing a mage in the castle, Akako cloaked the group as they figured out a plan.

“I say we sneak in,” said Hakuba, “stealth is always the best option.”

“Well as the king, I say we break in through the front door,” Kaito said as cracked his knuckles. “It’s not like we announced we were coming so it’s still a surprise. Besides, sneaking around isn’t my forte.”

Akako and Hakuba stared at their king before sighing.

“Should’ve known…”

“But isn’t it dangerous to go from the front?” asked Shinichi. Shinichi gazed down at the front gate. Several alert guards were posted around the perimeter. They would definitely be noticed.

Kaito put an arm around Shinichi’s middle and leaned towards his queen. “Mmm...you see Shinichi, there’s a certain way I fight. I think it’s about time you find out.”  The king gestured at Akako. “Hit it.”

Akako sighed before raising a hand. She snapped her fingers and the sound echoed for a few seconds.

Out of nowhere, a flaming meteor struck the front gate of Azeria Castle. Shinichi’s eyes widened at the fire that was beginning to spread around the area. The guards were moving frantically to try and quell the flames.

Tail wagging deviously behind him, Kaito smirked. “And it’s showtime! Let’s go everyone.”

The four weaved through the dense forest and approached the front gates. Several guards that weren’t trying to put out the fire noticed them. Hakuba took the vanguard and quickly dispatched them with his blade.

Kaito gave the general a thumbs up as Akako summoned a powerful gust of wind to push away the remains of the meteor and extinguish the flames in the gate. Kaito and Hakuba went forward to strike the gate and caused the stone to shatter and fall into the castle.

“What did I tell you Shinichi? This way was definitely better than sneaking in.” Shinichi could only groan as they all entered the castle.

“I should’ve known you were a showy conqueror.” said Shinichi as Kaito dispatched another soldier.

They ran through the main hallway, attracting numerous guards. Akako used all types of magic to blast through the guards that stood in their way. Any straggler that got too close to them was quickly eliminated by Hakuba’s blade. It was the perfect defense.

Soon they reached gold encrusted double doors. It could only be the throne room. Kaito heard footsteps coming from behind them.

“I guess the calvary has arrived,” mused Kaito.

Hakuba turned towards the sound. “Leave them to me. I won’t allow them to reach you.”

“Thanks Hakuba. Knew I could count on you.”

“You didn’t even bring me along in the first place—argh never mind. Just hurry up and get this over with.” Hakuba waved them away. Shinichi shot the general a smile and a nod and received a nod in return.

With their backs safeguarded, Kaito kicked the double doors open to reveal the Azerian throne room. Dozens of guards were scattered around the room, all of their weapons pointed towards the three intruders.

Kaito had a dark smile on his face as he casually strode into the throne room. “Hello Azerians. I’ve come to take my revenge.”

The soldiers began to edge closer to the trio of demons. They stopped a meter before them. A booming male voice came from the back.

“I should have known you would just barge in here. How dare you ruin my splendid castle?” A demon dressed in a sage green cloak started to walk towards the king and his companions. The bulky horns and regal appearance could only belong to the king of Azeria. The king was a lion demon, a class above the nekomatas. 

Kaito snorted as he crossed his arms. “I can say the same to you. How dare you slaughter my people? The envoys and the villagers never did anything to you.”

The Azerian king let out a bellow before snarling. “The lives of peasants mean nothing to me.”

Shinichi’s felt sheer anger at the Azerian king’s words. He was about to take a step forward but Akako placed a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head. Shinichi bit his lip and his hands balled into fists.

"Did you even have a real reason to invade my kingdom, King Lyonel?" 

King Lyonel laughed on his throne and then promptly snarled. "I was curious as to why our countries even had a neutrality pact. If I knew your kingdom was so weak, I would have conquered your miserable lands a long time ago. To believe father kept this pact for so long. What a fool. I heard you have a lot of mines that my country needs. We'll seize those soon enough."

“Ah, so you recently ascended the throne. I know you’re new to the idea of a monarchy,” Kaito said, eyes full of fury, “so let me give you some advice King Lyonel: there’s no such thing as an insignificant life. Let me teach you what it means to be a king.” Suddenly, the air around the throne room started to fill with a familiar mana aura. Shinichi felt warm as he recognized it as the same mana source that was going to strike him down the moment they met. 

As Kaito surged forward, he yelled back, “Akako! I leave Shinichi and my back to you. Don’t exert yourself, I’ll need it more.”

Akako’s hands glowed red, “Of course. Just don’t die.” She waved one of her hands and red parallel walls appeared in the middle of the throne room. It gave Kaito a clear path to the throne where the Azerian king awaited.

The soldiers that were now unable to defend their king began to mobilize and head towards Akako and Shinichi. Akako once again waved her hand and the parallel walls moved outward, pushing and trapping all of the soldiers against the edges of the room.

Akako’s grin was nothing but smug. “These Azerians are child’s play. There’s no challenge to be found here.”

Not even a second after she said that, a lightning bolt appeared from nowhere. Shinichi quickly pulled Akako away and the bolt struck the area she was standing.

Shinichi released the tight grip he had on Akako’s shoulder. “Sorry for the harshness. Are you okay Akako?”

Akako scowled. “Thank you Shinichi. I forgot about the enemy mage for a moment. I will not make the same mistake.” She glanced at the trapped soldiers held against the wall and immediately pinpointed the mage. Akako waved her free hand and black binds began to surround the mage.

Shinichi watched as the dark runes began to wrap around the mage’s body, to the point of choking them. “Are those seals?”

“Yes. Their magic has been sealed. They will no longer interfere with our king’s battle.”

Speaking of Kaito, the demon king was currently facing off with the Azerian king. Kaito was avoiding the king’s lance thrusts while continuing to move forward step by step.

“Not so used to fighting short range are you?” Kaito said as he dodged another swipe of the lance. Lyonel snarled and swung the lance outward. Kaito jumped up and landed on the tip of the lance. He leaned down and smiled darkly.

“It seems this match is already at an end.” Humming, Kaito began to pool his mana towards his feet. In a matter of seconds, the lance shattered. He landed a bit away from the other king. “What a shitty weapon you had. If pure mana was able to break it, how were you supposed to defend an entire country with it?”

The lion king roared and tried to claw at Kaito. Kaito easily sidestepped and delivered a swift kick to the Azerian’s side. The force of the kick was increased due to the mana stored in his feet, causing Lyonel to fly across the room.

“What’s wrong King of Azeria? You sure talk big for a weakling who hasn’t even been able to touch me.” Kaito yawned and stretched his arms. “I haven’t even used a single spell yet.” He slowly walked towards the lion demon that was struggling to stand up.

“Never challenge my country unless you have the force to back it up.” Kaito picked the king by his mane. “You have wasted my time.”

“You bastard!” spat out Lyonel, “I will not fall to you.”

Kaito raised an eyebrow, “You sure about that? I was about to ask if you had any last words.”

In a last ditch effort, Lyonel roared and tried to claw at Kaito’s hip. A knife soared and stabbed the hand midway, causing the king to roar out in pain.

“Don’t touch my king.”  

Shinichi arrived and stood by Kaito, eyes viciously glaring at King Lyonel. Kaito smiled at his queen and willed his tail to hold onto Shinichi’s tail. He kissed Shinichi’s cheek.

“Thank you my dear queen. Unnecessary, but appreciated.”

“Not in front of the enemy Kaito.”

Kaito chuckled and then raised the Azerian king up to display in front of the soldiers still trapped behind Akako’s barrier. “Azerian people, look how far your king has fallen. From this day forth, your country shall be mine.”

With that final statement, Kaito tightened his grip on the king’s mane and his other hand struck the king in the sternum. Shinichi felt the wave of sheer mana echo through the room and watched as the life faded from King Lyonel’s eyes. Kaito tossed the lion corpse aside and turned towards the rest of the throne room.

“Are there any objections? Any other challengers?”

The room remained silent. Kaito walked towards the throne with Shinichi by his side. He sat down and brought the queen into his lap. Akako released the barrier and the soldiers all kneeled towards their new king.

Kaito smirked as he looked at the silent throne room. “Conquest complete. Told you it would be quick Shinichi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going off to LA and AX for the next two weeks so no updates until I return. Just know that the chapters are already done and waiting ;) 
> 
> Next chapter will be NSFW. As always, it is optional and not needed for the plot. So go ahead and skip to 12 if NSFW is not your thing.


	11. Reward or Punishment?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back from vacation \o/ AX was fun~ Brought my Shinichi nesoberi everywhere huehuehue
> 
> Anyways, welcome to what is probably the KaiShin Discord's most anticipated chapter. Obviously it's NSFW. If you're not into NSFW, feel free to skip since there's no story elements. Head on over to Chapter 12~
> 
> If you are sticking around, enjoy approximately 10 pages of obligatory victory sex.

After making sure that no one had followed them, Kaito and Shinichi walked into the Azerian throne room.

Shinichi looked around the silent room. To believe that only moments before they were at war and a battle erupted here. Eerie silence surrounded them and Shinichi felt himself sweating out of nervousness, “Is the coast clear?”

“There shouldn’t be anyone here at this time of night. Besides,” Kaito snapped his fingers and the throne room doors shut with a resounding click, “I wouldn’t let anyone see what I’m about to do to you.” The king took Shinichi by the hand and led him to the back of the the room where the throne was. It was left unscratched from the earlier battle.

“A-are you sure about this? What if someone walks by and hears?” Shinichi was glad the room didn’t have any windows, save for the elegant mosaic behind the throne. Kaito snorted.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t allow anyone to see. I also put up a soundproof barrier in case. You can relax Shinichi,” They reached the throne and Kaito placed a hand on Shinichi’s hip, “Nothing will go wrong.”

“F-fine. Just this once.”

Kaito smirked. “Well then, time for your punishment dear. I told you to stay at home and you explicitly disobeyed my orders.” Kaito went to sit down on the throne and crossed his legs. He leisurely laid an arm down on the armrest and propped his head on his hand.

Shinichi frowned and crossed his arms. “I don’t like being left alone.”

Kaito smirked even wider. “I know. But the king’s orders are law. And I order you to strip.”

“That...sounds gross.”

Kaito raised an eyebrow and frowned, “Less talking, more stripping.”

Shinichi looked around the room once more before unbuttoning the collar of his shirt.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

“What part of ‘less talking, more stripping’ did you not understand?”

Shinichi rolled his eyes and unbuttoned the rest of his shirt. He tore it off and tossed it aside to begin working on his pants. Shinichi shimmied his military trousers off, leaving him in his underwear. The entire time he could feel Kaito's eyes roving around him, holding himself back from pouncing.

Kaito licked his lips at the sight. Shinichi’s skin looked quite enticing. He couldn’t wait till later.

Shinichi’s cheeks reddened as he finally pulled down his underwear. He was left nude and slightly cold in front of the throne. Shinichi’s tail shyly wrapped around his thigh and he crossed his arms as he shivered.

“Are you happy now?” Shinichi said pouting.

Kaito’s eyes darkened in delight, “Very. Now come a bit closer. I want to touch you.”

Shinichi slowly walked towards the throne and stood in front of Kaito. Kaito eyed his queen, taking note of Shinichi’s slightly hard member. It seemed his queen like being ogled. Or was it the fact that they were technically in a public area? Kaito would find out sooner or later. He took Shinichi’s hand and dragged his queen into his lap.

“Comfortable dear?”

“Mmmm...other than the fact that I’m naked, I guess I am.”

Kaito chuckled. “Good.” He rubbed circles onto Shinichi’s hips and the queen sighed into the touch. Shinichi laid his head on Kaito’s shoulder as Kaito began to touch Shinichi’s sensitive spots. Kaito’s hand trailed down Shinichi’s spine until it rested on the queen’s ass where he gave it a firm squeeze. Shinichi squeaked and almost jumped out of Kaito’s lap if not for the king’s other arm wrapping around his middle.

“Don’t worry dear, it’s just me.”

“I-I know. You just surprised me.”

“I’m just trying to be playful.”

They just sat there for a bit, enjoying each other’s presence. After such an eventful day, they deserved to spend some quality time together. Shinichi's head was comfortable against Kaito’s shoulder and he felt his eyes beginning to close. He received a pinch in return.

“H-hey! That hurt!”

“Don’t you know you’re being punished right now? I can’t have you falling asleep on me.” Kaito said as he pinched the tip of Shinichi’s tail. Shinichi yelped and swatted Kaito on the chest. He gave Kaito a wary glance before sighing.

“Fine. What do you want?”

“Hmmm...how about you suck me off?”

“I do what?”

“Y’know...the first thing I did for our coronation night?” The only reply that Kaito got was a blank look. “I took you in my mouth? Come on Shinichi it wasn’t even that long ago.”

“O-oh! I remember.” Shinichi felt a bit stupid for forgetting. “I guess I can?”

Kaito noticed his queen’s hesitance. “It’s fine if you don’t want to Shinichi. I would never force you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

Shinichi hurriedly shook his head. “No, I can do it. Just...be patient please?”

“I can be patient. Go at your own pace.”

“Okay then…” Shinichi blushed brightly before sliding off of the king’s lap. Kaito watched as Shinichi got on his knees in front of the throne and eyed at the zipper of Kaito’s pants. The look of pure concentration of Shinichi’s face was adorable as the queen went forward to catch the zipper in his teeth. Kaito’s eyes widened in glee as Shinichi brought the zipper down.

“Very forward dear. I like it.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes before pulling down the rest of Kaito’s pants, leaving the king’s half hard erection in plain sight. It finally dawned on Shinichi that he’s never done this before. Last time it was Kaito doing everything for him. Shinichi guessed that it was his turn to try and be aggressive. He gulped nervously before going forward and licking the tip. Kaito sighed contently and looked at Shinichi with half-lidded eyes.

“Don’t be afraid darling.”

Shinichi took a deep breath before once again licking the tip of Kaito’s dick. His tongue lapped over the slit and Kaito hissed. Seeing the king’s reactions plus the lights of the mosaic behind the throne goaded Shinichi further. Shinichi took the king’s member in one hand and began to pump him while continuing to lick around the tip. Kaito’s hands gripped the armrests a bit harder as he enjoyed the feeling of Shinichi’s tongue laving around him.

Finally getting used to the strange taste, Shinichi decided to finally take the head into his mouth and sucked hard. Kaito inhaled sharply as he felt the warmth of Shinichi’s cheeks surround him. Slowly, Shinichi took in more of Kaito, going about three-fourths until he almost choked. Kaito petted his queen’s hair.

“It’s fine, don’t force yourself.”

Shinichi hummed in understanding. Kaito then felt his lover’s tongue lap the underside of his cock while simultaneously pumping him. Kaito looked down to see Shinichi’s cherry red lips wrapped around him and his eyes focused on Kaito’s face. It was sinful to say the least.

“You’re doing so well Shinichi. You feel amazing.” The hand that Kaito had in Shinichi’s hair moved to rub the queen’s delicate horns. The reaction was quick. Shinichi moaned around Kaito, causing the king to groan with pleasure.

Shinichi began to bob his head back and forth while using one hand to pump Kaito and the other to hold onto the throne as leverage. Kaito continued to pet Shinichi as well as massage the small horns nestled in the queen’s hair.

As he felt his release coming, Kaito pulled Shinichi’s face away, startling the other demon. Shinichi was confused for a half second until he felt a burst of warm liquid hit his face. He blinked through the white strands as he looked up at Kaito.

“Wha—Kai?”

Kaito smirked down at Shinichi. “I think you look beautiful. The way you’re staring up at me with _my_ cum on your face...how picturesque.”

Shinichi promptly scowled and picked up Kaito’s discarded trousers to wipe his face.

Kaito chuckled at the spectacle. “Serves you right. You did it to me as well.”

Shinichi huffed and looked away. Kaito grinned at his queen before gesturing to the queen to come closer. Shinichi gave him a withering look before going back onto the throne with Kaito. He felt his tail being grabbed by Kaito’s tail and he shivered as they touched.

As the tails held onto each other, Kaito got a brilliant idea. His dark grin did not go unnoticed by Shinichi.

“I see that look in your eye. Now what?”

“I want to try something new. Fetch me the lube in my trousers.” Shinichi stood up and grabbed the lube from the back pocket.

“Why did you even bring this to Azeria?”

Kaito winked. “I’m always prepared.”

“...I’m not even going to ask. Just forget it.” Kaito used his tail to pull Shinichi back.

“I wanna try a little experiment, is that okay with you?”

“This isn’t much a punishment if you keep on talking like that.”

The king laughed and nuzzled his queen’s shoulder. “Aw Shinichi, you know it’s because I care right? We’re having such an intimate moment that I forgot about making a proper punishment.” Kaito’s grin said otherwise, “But I suppose this will suffice.”

Out of nowhere, Shinichi felt a cold substance coat the tip of his tail. The coldness immediately sent a shiver up his spine and he gasped. Shinichi tried to turn around to see, but Kaito held his chin and pressed him into a kiss. Shinichi melted as Kaito’s tongue entered his mouth to distract him from the coldness. In the middle of the kiss, Shinichi felt nimble fingers spreading the coldness all around the flat sides of his spade-tipped tail. The constant rubbing caused him to moan into the kiss. Shinichi squirmed in Kaito’s lap, but the king had a steady grip around him.

They reluctantly separated, a string of saliva still connecting them as they both gasped for air. Kaito licked his lips to break the string.

“Okay dear, here’s the experiment: Since I lubed you up all nice and well,” Kaito said as he continued to rub Shinichi’s tail, “all I want to see is your cute little tail go riiight here.”

As Kaito said “here”, Shinichi gasped as he felt a finger touch his entrance. He then began to mentally scream at the ridiculousness of the request. Are tails even supposed to go up there? Is this why Shinichi even has a tail? He looked up at Kaito, hoping that the king was joking. But one look at Kaito’s face told Shinichi that Kaito was waiting for an answer. Shinichi bit his lip. Was he really going through with this?  

“I can help you aim if necessary,” added Kaito. Shinichi gave him a deadpan look. His tail twisted anxiously, still tied with Kaito’s tail. Kaito reassuringly tugged on Shinichi.

Shinichi sighed as he accepted the "punishment" and unwound his tail from Kaito’s. He willed his tail to approach his entrance. The moment the tip touched his entrance, Shinichi felt a shock go down his spine. His already sensitive tail going in such a place...definitely strange.

Slowly, the tip of the tail breached Shinichi’s entrance. Shinichi exhaled as he felt the entire spade enter him. The exterior of his tail was smooth. Coupled with the lubricant, it allowed Shinichi to easily slide into himself. Shinichi quivered at the sensation. If he focused hard enough, he could feel his tail pulsing inside of him.

Kaito licked his lips at the sight. He mentally patted himself for always coming up with the best ideas. Stroking his queen’s spine, he watched as Shinichi’s breathing hastened. The queen’s eyes were unfocused and he was heavily leaning on Kaito.

“Alright darling, you should know what’s next.” Kaito said as his hand trailed to the base of the queen’s spine where Shinichi’s tail started. He tugged at it and Shinichi softly moaned into Kaito’s chest. Kaito observed as Shinichi’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration and the tip of the queen’s tail emerged from his entrance only to return to where it was a second ago.

A small whimper escaped from Shinichi as he let his tail sink inside him once more. It went deeper and deeper until Shinichi jolted in the king’s arms. Shinichi cried out as he willed his tail to press harder against the spot that made him see stars. Gasping for breath, Shinichi felt some saliva run down his chin as his tail continued to pound against his prostate again and again until Shinichi felt like a shapeless puddle against Kaito. If this kept up, he would—

Something else touched his entrance.

“Do you think you can fit two dear?” Kaito murmured into Shinichi’s ear. Shinichi wiggled his tail around and felt that there was still some unoccupied space. He nodded, and felt Kaito’s tail slowly enter alongside his own. The two tails remained still as Shinichi adjusted to the new intrusion. Kaito sighed contently as he felt Shinichi clench around his tail. He could only think of one better feeling than this…

After a minute, Shinichi huffed and Kaito took it as a signal to continue. Both of their tails began to simultaneously move in and out of Shinichi. The pressure on Shinichi’s prostate brought tears to Shinichi’s eyes as he cried out from the dual stimulation. The tails probed and stabbed right where he needed them to. Kaito steadied Shinichi after a particularly hard stab that almost made Shinichi fall off Kaito’s lap.

As Shinichi moaned for more, Kaito took the opportunity to suck marks onto his lover’s neck and shoulder. Noticing that his lap was wet, Kaito looked down to see Shinichi’s cock leaking precum. Kaito supposed that it was time for a change up once again.

Shinichi felt a sharp tug on his tail, snapping him out of his self-induced stupor. He looked up to see Kaito frowning. Shinichi tilted his head in confusion. Didn’t Kaito ask for this in the first place?

“What’s wrong Kaito?” Kaito snorted at the question.

“This is supposed to be _our_ time, but you haven’t been paying any attention to _me_.” Kaito grabbed Shinichi’s erection for emphasis. “Look, you’re moments away from cumming, but did you even think about me?”

Looking down, Shinichi saw that Kaito was quite hard.

“Did you not enjoy the show?”

“I loved every moment of it. As much as we liked discovering that you can get off on our tails, I think I’d like you to cum while I fuck you on my lap.”

Shinichi moaned as Kaito’s tail withdrew along with his own. He whimpered at the loss of warmth but felt something larger than the tails near his entrance.

“Good thing we stretched you out already huh?” Kaito said into Shinichi’s hair,  “All for this. Ready dear?” Shinichi nodded.

Kaito held Shinichi so that the queen faced him on the throne. He propped each of Shinichi’s legs over an armrest and positioned his cock right under Shinichi’s entrance. The sight of Shinichi’s legs quivering in anticipation excited Kaito even further. Slowly but gently, Kaito brought Shinichi’s hips down, fully encasing his cock inside of Shinichi’s warmth.

Shinichi panted as he had to adjust to an even bigger intrusion compared to the two tails. He placed his hands on Kaito’s shoulders and Kaito rested his hands on Shinichi’s hips.

“Let me know when you’re ready dear,” Kaito whispered against Shinichi’s lips. The queen let out a sigh.

“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Kaito grinned and took ahold of his queen’s hips and slowly raised it so his cock was halfway out. He then dropped Shinichi and the queen moaned as he was filled once more. Shinichi canted his hips to fit Kaito even deeper inside. He sighed softly.

“More Kaito.”

“Of course love.”

Kaito started at a steady rhythm as he bounced Shinichi in his lap. Every thrust elicited a gasp for more, turning Kaito on even further. His grip on Shinichi’s hips were almost bruising as a particularly hard thrust caused Shinichi to cry out and echo throughout the room.

“K-Kaito, Kaito!” Shinichi was close to tears and leaned his head on Kaito’s chest. His legs trembled at the punishing pace and he felt close to his limit.

The sound of footsteps outside of the throne room caught both of their attentions. Kaito stopped and Shinichi whined. He swatted Kaito’s chest.

“Y-you said that you soundproofed the room!”

“Shush. And I did. We can continue, they shouldn't be able to hear us."

“Are you sure? What happens—AH!”

Kaito distracted his lover by taking Shinichi’s erection and pumping it. Shinichi mewled into the touch.

Kaito kissed Shinichi’s forehead. “I told you not to worry. Let’s resume, shall we?”

“But someone might—“ Shinichi was interrupted when Kaito began moving again. The distraction worked and Shinichi moaned as he felt Kaito fill him to the brim. As Kaito thrusted into Shinichi, he bit the queen’s neck hard enough to leave an imprint.

“Kai! Kai!” Small tears began to leak from Shinichi’s eyes as the queen came over Kaito’s stomach. White strands were littered over the king’s uniform and the queen groaned as he collapsed onto Kaito’s chest.

Kaito looked at the queen with utmost fondness in his eyes. “I have you Shinichi don’t worry.” He thrusted a few more times before releasing inside of Shinichi. Shinichi let out a small moan as he felt the warm cum fill him.

After catching his breath, Kaito gently pulled out of Shinichi and positioned the queen into a more comfortable position on his lap. The queen was softly panting, a few tear streaks remaining on his cheeks. Kaito alternated between licking and kissing the tears away. The movement stirred Shinichi and he looked at Kaito with fatigue.

“Is the punishment over? Was I good?”

“You were wonderful Shinichi. I loved every moment of it.”

“...Are you sure no one heard us?”

Kaito chuckled as he attempted to smooth down his lover’s ruffled hair. “I am 100% sure dear. Only I am allowed to see you in such a debauched state.”

Shinichi moaned as he felt come dripping out of his entrance. He buried himself into Kaito’s chest.

“Carry me to bed. I refuse to walk like this.”

“I would never skip the opportunity.” Kaito lifted the queen bridal style and headed out of the throne room.

* * *

The next morning, while the queen was asleep, the king was confronted by his angry general in the room the two royals chose to sleep in.

“And just what the hell is this?” asked Hakuba while clutching a pair of familiar pants in his hand. Kaito gave him an unamused look.

“That looks like my uniform pants. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Why exactly was it on the floor of the throne room? And why are there multiple stains on it? The Azerian king didn’t even touch you.” Kaito swore he heard a growl come from the general.

“...They were stolen? I uh, tripped on some stone?”

“Bullshit.” Hakuba squinted towards the queen that was sleeping on the bed behind the king. “And why hasn’t the queen awoken? There’s a council in ten minutes.” Hakuba walked towards the bed and grabbed ahold of the thin sheet that was covering the queen. Kaito was too late to reply as Hakuba tugged on the sheet, revealing the queen’s torso. The general’s eyes widened as he saw that Shinichi’s chest was littered with hickeys and bites. Embarrassed, Hakuba quickly covered the queen. “You two...are unbelievable.”

Kaito only shot the general a teasing grin. “You know, you are _very_ lucky you’re my general, because if any other person saw my queen in such a vulnerable state like right now, I would’ve killed them.”

Hakuba rolled his eyes. “I swear you’re an idiot. I’m going to pretend I didn’t see this.” He tossed the pants to Kaito who swiftly caught it.

“That would be for the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was fun to write. Definitely longer than coronation night. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed. Next few chapters are quite soft.


	12. To Fail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update a day early?? Wowza!
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

With Azeria conquered, the kingdom entered a moment of peace. The only thing that changed was the amount of paperwork Kaito had to endure. The king often spent his nights cooped up in his office signing away at documents. This left Shinichi and the other vassals to do miscellaneous work around the castle. 

* * *

 

Shinichi insisted on tagging along with Saguru and a small group of soldiers to take care of some pests on the border of the castle walls. Kaito protested against it, but was eventually swayed when Shinichi begged with a puffed out lip. Literally no one in the castle could resist the queen’s pout. Kaito relented, but forced Akako to go with the soldiers as an extra precaution.

Akako and Shinichi stayed towards the back while Saguru led the group of soldiers to the area where the villagers reported about the attacks. Saguru examined the claw marks scratched onto the wall and squinted.

“What kind of monster could have done this?”

Akako went over and stood next to Saguru. She traced the scratches with her finger and hummed.

“It’s on the tip of my tongue.” Akako sniffed the scratches. “It’s something familiar…”

“It must be something big if it caused the stone to scratch,” added Shinichi.

Saguru softly chuckled. “My queen, no offense or anything, but your knives are enough to break stone.”

“Heh, that’s true.” said Shinichi as he scratched his cheek out of embarrassment.

The rest of the soldiers spreaded out to try and search for the source of the claw marks. Akako was still focused on the wall and Shinichi was starting to get bored. Shinichi knelt down and began picking at the grass while Saguru and Akako talked about the scratches.

“Do you think it’s a griffin?” asked Saguru.

“Hmmm...the scratches are too thin to be a griffin. Besides, our lands don’t have many rogue griffins.” Akako bit her lip. There was something she was forgetting.

“Then perhaps werewolves?”

Akako’s nose wrinkled. “I don’t smell mutt here. It has to be something more rare.”

“Um, hey guys…” Shinichi interrupted the two’s deep conversation, sounding slightly startled.

The two turned towards Shinichi’s voice and immediately went alert. Barely ten meters from their queen was a green-scaled wyvern that was as big as the queen himself. The wyvern was slowly stalking towards Shinichi, who looked towards the two with fear.

“Shinichi please stay calm. Wyverns can smell fear,” hissed Akako. Hearing that made Shinichi gulp.

Saguru unsheathed his sword, “Shit, when did a wyvern show up?”

“I don’t sense an aura from it. It’s being cloaked by a foreign party. A beast tamer may be involved.” Akako’s hands began to glow white. “First we must secure the queen.”

Saguru nodded as he began to run forward. “Agreed.” Akako shot a bolt near the wyvern to startle it. The wyvern roared and Saguru took the opportunity to charge to the wyvern’s side. Saguru slashed the wyvern on its leg and put himself in front of Shinichi.

“Run! Now!!” The queen, still frozen from fear, couldn’t move an inch. Saguru growled as the wyvern began to swipe at Hakuba. Each strike was successfully blocked by Saguru’s sword, but if this kept up...

“Akako hurry!” Akako’s hands glowed yellow with more mana.

“Stand back! Both of you!” Saguru looked up to see the dark cloud forming above. Understanding the new plan, Saguru slammed his sword against the wyvern’s snout to stun it and then picked up the queen to run away. The wyvern couldn’t recover quick enough and was struck by the bolt of thunder. The smell of burnt wyvern lingered in the air as Akako ran towards Saguru and Shinichi.

“Are you two alright?”

“Yes we’re fine. Right Queen Shinichi?”

Shinichi, still stunned from earlier events, simply nodded. The two sighed in relief.

“Well, it seems we solved the mystery of the scratches.” Saguru said as he checked Shinichi over. Shinichi’s eyebrows were furrowed. There was something not right.

Shinichi’s eyes were drawn to the marks on the wall. “But…”

Akako began “Is there something wrong? Are you hurt anywhere Shinichi?”

“T-the marks on the wall…”

“What’s wrong?” urged Saguru, “The wyvern is dead.”

“The wyvern’s claws weren’t as big as the ones on the wall,” whispered Shinichi.

Saguru was about to argue until loud screams interrupted him. Saguru looked back to see his soldiers being slammed to the ground by a scaly tail. A loud roar echoed out on the field. It belonged to yet another wyvern that was double the size of the previous one.

“You two stay here,” Saguru rushed over to his fallen men, “Everyone fall back! Fall back!” Saguru stood in front of two injured soldiers to deflect the wyvern’s claw swipe.

“Why the hell are there so many wyverns?” Saguru said through gritted teeth. The wyvern roared and began to flap its wings. Saguru shielded his eyes with his arm. What a terrible day to not bring his shield.

Meanwhile, Shinichi was aiding Akako with the fallen soldiers. They dragged the soldiers away while Saguru was distracting the wyvern. “I think this is the entire platoon!”

Akako kneeled down by an injured soldier and began to heal their wound.

Shinichi looked the general struggling against the wyvern before turning back to Akako. “Saguru’s in trouble! We have to help.”

“Just stay here. Hakuba can fend for himself for a bit while I heal.”

“B-but…” Shinichi bit his lip as the wyvern dove in to attack the general again. He couldn’t watch this anymore.

“You’ll only get in his way.”

Shinichi gritted his teeth, newfound determination brightening his eyes.

“Even so, I can’t leave him.”

* * *

Saguru fended off yet another strike from the damned wyvern. The wyvern cried out in pain and backed away from him. Seeing the opportunity, he looked back to see that Akako was healing his fallen men. The general sighed in relief and focused once more on the wyvern. Funneling mana into his blade, the blade extended. Now he just had to wait for an opening to slay the beast.

“You have breathed your last you damned lizard.” The wyvern eyed him cautiously as it clawed at the ground. The claws uprooted dirt and the wyvern threw it at Saguru. Saguru swung his sword to deflect some dirt and smirked.

“Playing with dirt now? How pitiful.”

The wyvern almost seemed to understand Saguru. It snorted and screeched as it began to flap its wings and soar in the sky. Saguru began to get nervous. If the wyvern began to use the air to its advantage...Saguru would not be able to keep up.

The wyvern dove down, claws outstretched. Saguru was prepared to intercept the attack, but it never came. The claws ripped into the ground and flung a multitude of dirt into Saguru’s face.

“Shit.” Saguru tried to quickly wipe it off. He was no longer paying attention to the wyvern as it circled around him.

“SAGURU WATCH OUT!” Saguru squinted through the dirt to see the wyvern diving towards him. His eyes were still blinded from the dirt but maybe if he—

Suddenly, Saguru’s center of balance was thrown off as a weight pushed him to the side. He crashed towards the ground, confused as to what struck him. Was it the wyvern?

Saguru sat up and picked up the sword he dropped. Looking in front of him he silently gasped. There laying barely a meter from him was Shinichi, back torn asunder by the wyvern’s claws. A row of scarlet vertical stripes decorated the queen’s back. Blood was beginning to ooze from each scratch to dye the queen’s once white shirt a deep red.

What worried Saguru the most was how still Shinichi was. The word “unmoving” should never be used to describe the queen.

“HAKUBA GRAB THE QUEEN NOW!” That….that was Akako’s voice. Wasn’t she supposed to be watching the queen?

Wasn’t he supposed to be protecting the queen?

“Damn it Hakuba, there’s no time I’m summoning the king.” Akako clasped her hands together as if she was praying, “Heed our pact and come to my side at once. I summon you!” A flash of light appeared next to Akako and Kaito was next to her in an instant.

“Wow Akako you haven’t summoned me in a while. How’s the trip—is that a wyvern?”

“I’m so sorry for our failure my king.” Akako pointed towards the area where Shinichi and Saguru were.

Kaito followed her finger and his face went blank before snarling.

“I’ll kill it. Retrieve the general and my queen.”

“Of course.”  

Kaito’s wings spread out and he flew straight into the wyvern, forcing it back onto the ground. The wyvern cried out in pain and tried to escape to the sky again. Kaito grabbed it by the tail and slammed it to the ground.

“I don’t think so. Hurting both my general and my queen warrants death.”

The wyvern scratched at the ground, attempting to escape. Kaito swung the wyvern against a tree and rendered it unconscious.

Satisfied for now, Kaito glided to Shinichi and the general. Saguru was trying to staunch the queen’s bleeding with the remains of the shirt.

“Move aside. I can handle this Hakuba.”

Saguru didn’t seem to hear Kaito as he continued to press the shirt deeper into Shinichi’s back. Kaito saw his general’s hands trembling.

“Move aside Saguru.”

Saguru looked up at the king’s serious face. Kaito kneeled beside them and took the general’s hands.

“He’ll be fine. These are only light flesh wounds and a mild concussion.” Kaito’s hands glowed light green and he touched Shinichi’s back. The bleeding stopped and Kaito gently picked up Shinichi.

“I’m flying him to the castle myself. I’ll meet you all there.”

With a flap of his wings, Kaito soared into the air, leaving Akako and Saguru with the injured soldiers.

Akako placed a hand on Saguru’s shoulder. “Do not let this get to you.”

The general couldn’t reply.

* * *

Saguru’s wounds were treated in a matter of moments. The medics said he was lucky to have received small scratches.

On the other hand, the queen had to be personally treated by the king for his back wounds. Kaito hadn’t allowed anyone into the royal chambers for hours.

Saguru returned to his and Aoko’s room to rest for the rest of the day, but could only stare at the ceiling. He had failed again. He let the queen get hurt.

_How could he fail his liege again?_

Saguru sat on the bed with his face in his hands, thinking about the day’s events. It was supposed to be an easy mission. Why had he let his guard down?

Saguru’s head jolted up when he heard the small knocks on his door. Strange. Aoko didn’t need to knock.

“Just come in already.”

The door opened to reveal Kaito, lips drawn in a thin line.

“Shinichi wishes to talk to you.”

Saguru stood up immediately. “The queen is awake?”

“Yep. And the first thing he asked was if you were okay. Come on, I gotta prove you’re alive. We can walk and talk on the way.”

Saguru numbly nodded and followed Kaito out of the room. The two walked in silence for almost thirty seconds before Kaito finally interrupted it.

“So, how exactly did Shinichi get hurt?”

Saguru felt his entire being go cold.

“I-I could not protect the queen. I’m so sorry.”

“I figured that out. I want to know _how._ ”

The entire scene replayed once more in Saguru’s mind. Saguru’s hands were balled into fists as he recounted the regretful encounter.

“The queen pushed me aside while I was blinded from the wyvern’s previous attack. I didn’t realize that the queen was nearby, so I didn’t take the necessary precautions.”

“Hmmm. That’s pretty much what Akako told me. So it _was_ Shinichi.”

“As I said, it was my fault for not being able to protect the queen.”

Kaito sighed. “I honestly doubt there was anything you could’ve done in the situation. I can’t even find it in myself to blame you, so don’t worry about it.”

“But Kaito, I deserve to be punished! I let the queen get hurt.”

“Don’t say stuff like that. I’m sure Shinichi shares the same sentiments as me. Speaking of Shinichi,” Kaito tapped on the door to the royal chambers, “He’s waiting for you. We can discuss more later.”

Saguru eyed the door before slowly opening it. To think that he used to walk in with confidence. Now all he wanted to do was hide and apologize.

Shinichi perked up as he saw Saguru enter the room. The queen smiled and waved as the general approached the bedside.

“Saguru! I’m glad to see you’re okay. I was worried about you.”

Saguru’s heart shattered with guilt.

“You were worried about _me_?”

“Of course I was! You’re our best general. I never want to see you hurt.”

Saguru’s knees buckled under his own weight and he kneeled. “My queen…I-I don’t know what to say. I failed you.”

Shinichi tilted his head in confusion. “Failed me? What are you talking about? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You—you took the hit that was meant for me! Why did you put yourself in such danger?! You’re the queen! It’s my duty to protect you!!” The words poured out from Saguru as Shinichi watched the general tremble. The queen’s eyes widened before softening.

“Saguru don’t say that. I took that hit because I wanted to.”

“ _Wanted to_?! Are you insane? You’re hurt because of my weakness!”

“Ah, my back is fine now. Kaito healed it all up.” Shinichi said while pointing at his back, “I’m just not allowed to leave the room for a bit. He’s scared I’ll overexert myself.”

“That’s not the point. I should’ve taken that hit. As your general I’m supposed to be your shield.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes. “I don’t agree with that. I don’t want any of my family getting hurt for my sake.”

“F-family?!”

Shinichi blushed at his slip up. “Well yeah, I remember on the first day I met everyone Kaito told me to consider you all as family. And that’s what I’ve done ever since.” Shinichi placed a hand on Saguru’s head and patted the general. “So please don’t feel bad. In fact, I order you to move on from this.”

This queen was so strange. Saguru sighed as he took the hand on his head and placed a kiss on the back of the queen’s hand.

“If you will not allow me to repent, then let me reaffirm my vow.” Saguru tightened his grasp on Shinichi’s hand, “Next time I’ll be there for you. I will not allow you to get hurt. I swear on my life.”

“Thank you Saguru. I’ll be counting on you.” Shinichi grinned as Saguru stood up and bowed. “Don’t worry about repenting or anything; I told Kaito he better not punish you for my mistake.”

“I see. Thank you for your generosity. I’ll leave you to rest now.”

“Alright. See you later Saguru.” Shinichi waved as Saguru left the room. The general shut the door behind him and saw the king was still standing in the same place where he left him.

Kaito raised an eyebrow. “So?”

“The queen told me to forgive myself and to move on. It’s apparently his fault when in reality it should have been mine.”

Kaito scratched the back of his head. “Yep that’s the same story I got too. So you’re in the clear.”

“I deserve to be punished.”

“Shinichi pardoned you. Can’t beat that.”

“You’re the king.”

“He’s my queen.”

Saguru groaned at his king’s absurdity while Kaito smirked.

“Next time, you better protect Shinichi. That’s all I ask for.”

Saguru nodded. “I swear to not make the same mistake again.”

* * *

“Did you see how bad they messed up Lilia? They straight up killed Emerald! We’re no match for them!”

“The scent on Lilia’s claws belong to One. We need to go there.”

“You’re insane.”

“Didn’t you promise to follow me forever?”

They sigh deeply. “Fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I can't write angst. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!


	13. Picnic Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally a chapter without Kaito.

Aoko stretched her legs out on the plaid blanket. “Ahhhh Akako, we haven’t spent this much time with each other in a while.”

Akako was next to her sipping on a glass of sparkling water. “Indeed. We have been quite busy with castle affairs. But let’s enjoy ourselves. Quality girl time.”

“...I’m not a girl.” 

The two females turned their heads to a pouting Shinichi who was trying to spread strawberry jam on his bread. 

Somebody coughed beside him. “...I am also not a female.” said Saguru, who was sitting between Shinichi and Aoko.

Akako grimaced and waved her hand. “You two can remain silent. I was addressing Aoko.” Akako reached into their picnic basket to grab another bread roll. “Besides, you weren’t even invited Hakuba.”

“Of course I had to come.” Saguru gestured at the field around them, “You brought the queen outside of the castle. That’s dangerous.”

Akako gave the general a deadpan look. “Are you saying I’m incapable of protecting my queen?”

“I didn’t say that.” Saguru wouldn’t be caught dead saying that.

Akako squinted at him before returning to her bread. “Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

“Akako...I’m sure Saguru just wanted to spend time with us.” Aoko smiled at her blushing husband who bit into his bread with more force than necessary.

“I-I didn’t say that either.”

“Wow Saguru, you sure are red,” said Shinichi with a sly grin.

“Please be quiet.”

The girls laughed and continued to dine on their prepared snacks. Today was a slow day at the castle, so Akako and Aoko decided to have a picnic outside of the city limits. While preparing their foods, Shinichi ran into them in the kitchen and was roped into the party. Saguru found out just as they were all about to leave and forced himself in. Now they were in the middle of a grass field enjoying their time together.

“Shinichi, you have some jam on your cheek.” Aoko pointed towards the red stain on the queen’s left cheek. Embarrassed, Shinichi tried to lick it away, but couldn’t reach it.

Saguru tsked at the sight. “How unbefitting of a queen. Here, let me.” He picked up a napkin to quickly lick it before rubbing it against the jam on Shinichi’s face. 

“Thank you Saguru. That was way too far for me to lick.” Saguru nodded.

“It would have been disgraceful to allow that jam to remain.”

Akako stifled a laugh and Saguru glared at her. 

“What’s so funny  _ witch _ ?”

Akako’s eye visibly twitched. “Nothing much  _ mongrel _ . You just acted quite motherly with the queen that it almost brought a tear to my eye.”

Aoko clapped her hands together. “Wow! It’s been a while since I’ve heard name calling from you two.” Aoko’s gaze quickly hardened. “It would be best to stop now.”

Akako looked away and Saguru shivered under his wife’s gaze. Aoko was the only one with the authority that could force these two into submission.

“Yes, of course.” They both replied. 

“Wow, you’re all such good friends.” Shinichi said smiling, “How long have you all known each other?”

The three contemplated before all answering simultaneously, “Forever.”

Shinichi’s eyes widened, “That long?”

They nodded, each having a nostalgic look on their face. 

“Kaito brought us all together if you must know,” said Akako as she tucked her hair behind her ear. “He’s the reason why we’re all here right now. I owe that idiot my life. And now we are forever bound.”

Aoko looked at her friend with sad eyes. “Akako…”

Shinichi was confused at Akako’s words, “Forever bound?”

“Ohoho. Curious young Shinichi? Don’t worry, I do not share a bond like what you have with Kaito. Ours is different.”  The creepy smile on Akako’s face made Shinichi decide he didn’t want to pry further into the mage’s affairs. He turned to Saguru, who still had a nostalgic look in his eyes.

“How about you Saguru? How did you end up here?”

There was a small smile on the general’s face. “It was the king and his father that guided me on the path to knighthood,” explained the general. “If they weren’t there for me, I would’ve probably ended up as a scholar like my father. What a miserable life that would have been.”

“Research is cool though,” pointed out Shinichi, “I help out the librarians with their stuff all the time.”

“My father was banished for researching advanced necromancy.” Saguru said before taking a sip of water. “The former king took me in and introduced me to swordplay. Kaito helped me through the entire process. That was when I swore my vow to protect Kaito and the kingdom.”

“Oh…” Shinichi awkwardly looked away. He didn’t expect such a topic to come up during their peaceful picnic. He felt bad for dredging up bad memories.

Aoko looked expectantly at Shinichi. “Well aren’t you going to ask about me next?”

The queen chuckled before finally asking, “Ah, yes how about you Aoko? When did you arrive here?”

Aoko’s grin resembled the Cheshire cat. “I’ve lived in the castle the entire time. My father used to be the high general before Saguru. I’ve known Kaito the longest since we grew up with each other.”

Akako smirked. “Are you bragging Aoko?” Aoko gently pushed the mage, but the smugness on her face was evident.

Shinichi hadn’t seen another nekomata in the castle before. “Where’s your father now Aoko?”

The cat ears on Aoko’s head drooped and her smile slightly fell. “He resigned from his post after King Toichi was murdered. He felt that he didn’t deserve the title of general if he couldn’t even protect his king. Instead, he travels as a diplomat to other nations to forge alliances.”

Shinichi slightly regretted asking that. Time to change to a lighter topic then.

“Um, how was Kaito as a child?” Shinichi didn't hear much about Kaito’s childhood.

“He was a total brat,” responded all three vassals.

“So all three of you met him as a child?” They all nodded. Shinichi was impressed. 

“How would you describe him as a kid?”

“Foolhardy, yet determined.” said Akako.

“Persistent.” Saguru said with a small grin.

“Kind.” Aoko said with an air of finality.

Shinichi sat in awe. He could feel the love and trust that the vassals held for their king. He was touched by their devotion. “No wonder he trusts you three so much then. Kaito praises you three all the time.”

Saguru and Aoko blushed bright red while Akako hid her embarrassment by drinking an entire glass of water.

“Just so you know Shinichi, if you ever hurt our dearest Kaito, we will kill you.” Akako said with a dark smile. “That’s a promise.”

Shinichi gulped and shook his head. “I would never hurt Kaito! Not intentionally at least.”

Akako‘s smile softened and she pointed at him. “Let’s keep it that way. As the queen, we expect you to be by his side and be with him always. In return, we’ll protect you, the person he treasures most.” 

Aoko and Saguru nodded in silent agreement. Shinichi felt warm from Akako’s vow and they continued their picnic in relative peace.

* * *

Kaito was fuming mad at the castle gate when they all returned. He stomped towards them, each step louder than the last.

“WHY DIDN’T ANYONE INVITE ME?!” 

Akako held her usual smug grin. “Somebody had to work today and it wasn’t going to be us.”

“UGH. You guys are my top three?! I need some new personnel. You even dragged Shinichi along!”

Shinichi’s expression turned sad. “But Kaito...I thought they were your most trusted friends? Would you really replace them?”

Kaito’s face scrunched a bit before he let out a deep sigh. 

“...Damn it. I hate all of you for turning Shinichi against me. Fine, you’re all off the hook.” Kaito crossed his arms and puffed out his bottom lip as he said, “But next time there’s a cute get together, I want to be invited. I don’t like being left out.”

As the king turned his back, Shinichi smirked and Akako patted him on the head.

“Nice save there Shinichi.”

“No problem.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jk. He was in it. And now you all know why these people hang out with Kaito. Except for Akako...which has only been hinted a few times. 
> 
> Next chapter is pretty plot heavy. Look forward to it!


	14. The Great Hellhound Races

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah another filler chapter.

Shinichi groaned as buttoned his collar in front of his vanity mirror, “And why do I have to go?”

Kaito sidled up next to Shinichi to assist with the tricky button. “Well dear, you’re not doing much in the castle, and public appearances are important.” He watched as Shinichi fastened the final clasp and looked himself over in the mirror. “All you have to do is sit down and watch some hellhounds run around in a circle. Not too hard right?”

“I suppose not.” Shinichi loosened his collar. Kaito always did it so tightly. “What will you be doing while I’m away?”

“Paperwork. I think I’m almost done with the Azeria stuff.” Kaito rubbed Shinichi’s shoulders and gave him a sly smile, “Once I’m free, we’ll definitely have to celebrate.”

“Just focus on not making any mistakes.” Shinichi shrugged off Kaito and began to walk out of the room. Kaito gave his queen a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Have a nice day! Akako will be your escort for the day.”

“You too. Have fun with your papers.”

“Not likely. But I appreciate the sentiment.”

Shinichi waved goodbye and left. He met Akako at the end of the hallway. She was wearing her usual mage gear and filing away at her nails. Akako raised an eyebrow at Shinichi.

“Hello Shinichi, ready to watch some mutts?”

Shinichi snorted. “It’s not the funnest thing in the world, but at least it’s better than paperwork.”

“Ah, yes. Anything is better than paperwork.” Akako put away her nail file and sneered, “However, I hate mutts the most in the world. They smell terrible and they’re absolutely disgusting.”

“A little harsh Akako. There are some werewolf servants around the castle. They may hear you.”

Akako rolled her eyes. “They are the only tolerable ones. The rest are trash.”

Shinichi shuddered at the sheer waves of disgust that emitted from Akako. He sighed and began to walk towards the castle gate where the entourage awaited.

* * *

“This place smells absolutely disgusting,” Akako said as she stepped out of the carriage. She grimaced as she saw the advertisements for the races all over the race building. “It smells like mutt.”

“Akako, this is a hellhound raceway. What else was it supposed to smell like?” Shinichi’s attempt to placate Akako failed as she glared at the back entrance to the building where the manager was waiting with a crooked smile. 

“I want to return home and take a bath.”

“Akako, we’ve only been here for a minute. You can bathe when the event is over.” At this point, Shinichi wished that he had Saguru as his escort instead of the irritated mage.

“Let’s get this over with.” Akako and Shinichi walked towards the manager of the raceway. The manager was a stout gray imp with beady eyes and stubble on his chin. The crooked smile never left his face as he bowed down to Shinichi.

“Welcome to our humble raceway Your Highness and legendary High Mage. Your presences at this raceway is an honor.” 

Shinichi smiled and shook the imp’s hand. “I hope the races are as fun as I’ve heard.” Which wasn’t much because Kaito only told him about the event this morning. 

The imp seemed to blush at the praise. “Of course, of course. People come far and wide to experience the majestic hellhound races. Oh, where are my manners, please come in!” He gestured to the door behind him. Shinichi walked inside and Akako followed behind him.

“You’re in luck Your Highness, you get a backstage tour of the races.” The imp rushed ahead of Shinichi and pointed to a hallway. “Would you like to see the hellhounds before the race?”

Shinichi saw Akako’s mouth curling into a snarl and quickly said, “Of course! We’d love to.” Akako’s face darkened and Shinichi sent a silent apology to her. The imp led them to a side room and Shinichi’s eyes widened at the sight.

There were cages all around the room, stacked upon each other like boxes in storage. Inside each cage was a hellhound. The cages were big enough to house one hound each, but Shinichi could spy some cages that had two or even three inside. As the hounds saw Shinichi, they whimpered and clawed at the cages. Shinichi approached a cage and a hound weakly licked his hand. Shinichi petted its paw and the hound whined. Shinichi looked away at the sight. The crowded conditions reminded Shinichi of his own experience in the egg. 

The hellhounds growled as the imp passed by and knocked on their cages.

“Beautiful right? This is where they eat, sleep, and play!” The imp said proudly. Shinichi looked at the hellhounds’ sad eyes and felt his heart sink.

“So, where do they play?”

“Inside the cage of course!” The imp smacked the side of a cage, causing the hellhounds inside to bark at him, “Well, if they’re older they don’t really need to play anymore.” 

Shinichi had to bite his tongue from saying what he really wanted to. He clenched his fist and took a deep breath before saying, “These conditions are deplorable. Cages are no place for hellhounds.”

“Huh?” The imp turned around confused, “How would you know what’s good for my babies? I’ve been raising these hounds for decades and this is the first complaint I’ve ever gotten.”

Shinichi crossed his arms and glared at the imp. “They should be allowed more freedom. How can they even breathe in there?”

The imp sighed. “No offense Your Highness, but you’re about to be late to the race. Why don’t you sit in your booth and calm yourself?”

“Excuse me but—” A hand fell onto Shinichi’s shoulder. Akako gave Shinichi a look that silenced him.

“Thank you manager. We’ll be happy to take our seats now.” Shinichi felt Akako’s hand grip his shoulder tighter, “Right Shinichi?” 

The look in Akako’s eyes terrified Shinichi and he dumbly nodded. The imp ushered them out of the hellhound room and into a hallway. The hallway led to a VIP booth that was higher than most of the seats in the stadium. It gave a good view of the circular race track where the hellhounds were going to race. Shinichi took a seat and Akako sat next to him. She removed a handkerchief from her pocket and put it over her nose.

“I hate this place. I hate the smell. I hate everything about this.” Akako said, her voice slightly muffled due to the handkerchief. Shinichi just sighed and Akako raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s wrong? Do you need a handkerchief as well?”

Shinichi looked over at her incredulously “No, I don’t need a handkerchief! The hellhounds are in a literal prison! They deserve better than a cage.”

Akako rolled her eyes. “They are in the cages for their own protection. Hellhounds are usually hunted for sport. If anything, they’re protected inside the cages.”

Shinichi frowned and leaned his head on his hand. The treatment of the hellhounds was absolutely unfair. Someone should do something about—

Realization struck him. Shinichi was the queen. Nobody else needed to be involved.

Shinichi stood up, “I’m going to the bathroom. You can stay here where there’s fresh air.”

Akako gave him a suspicious look but just nodded. “If you take too long, I’ll find you.”

“Okay. See you in a bit.” Shinichi quickly took off into the hallway. He look around each corner to make sure he was undetected. Shinichi followed the route the imp led him through and found the room where the hellhounds were trapped in. Shinichi pushed the double doors but it seemed to be locked. He eyed the padlock before taking it into his hand and pulling it. Channeling mana into his hands, Shinichi was able to pull the padlock off the door. He threw it to the side and entered the room.

Inside, the hellhounds whined and whimpered at him. Shinichi kneeled down at one of the cages and petted the hellhound inside.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let him keep you trapped like this.” Shinichi fiddled with the lock on the cage. Looking around, there was nothing he could use to unlock or break the cages. 

“Fine, I'll just have to do this the hard way.” Shinichi felt mana flowing through his fingertips as a fireball formed in his hand. The hellhound backed away as Shinichi kept the fireball over the lock. Soon enough, the lock melted.

“Once the metal has cooled down, I’ll break it.” The hellhound went back to the front of the cage and licked Shinichi’s hand.

“Be careful you might burn—oh right you’re heat resistant.” As he felt the metal cool, Shinichi took ahold of the bars and pulled. The bars gave way and bent, allowing the hellhound to slip through. It immediately tackled Shinichi and began to lick his face.

“Aha that tickles stop! I still have to free the rest of your friends.” The hellhound stood to the side and let Shinichi stand up. Its ears then perked and it growled towards the door. 

At the door was the manager imp, face red and steaming. He stomped to where Shinichi and the freed hellhound and held an electrified lance towards Shinichi.

“Now what are you doin’ here Your Highness? You should be sitting yourself in the booth, waiting for the show to start.”

Shinichi narrowed his eyes at the imp and stared him down.

“No. According to the Book of Animal Care and Law, you’re violating Article 7. Article 7 dictates the fair treatment and housing of demonic animals used in shows. This,” Shinichi gestured to the various cages through the room, “is not fair housing. These poor conditions are unacceptable. I’m confiscating your hellhounds.”

The imp listened quietly as Shinichi continued to drone on.

“There’s also the fact that the health of these hellhounds are below par. When one licked me, the warmth from its tongue was practically nonexistent. Everyone knows that a hellhound’s lick should be at least below scalding. Also, the flames around their paws are too dim. That means you’re not even properly feeding them. Also—“

The imp quickly interrupted the ranting queen. “Your Highness, I’m just gonna tell you straight: you’re not gonna do shit.”

Shinichi’s face was practically livid. “What’s stopping me? You're outmatched.”

The imp stalked closer, the lance sparking with energy. The hellhound beside Shinichi whimpered and hid behind Shinichi’s legs. 

Shinichi focused on the tip of the lance. “Are you threatening me? That’s also against the law.”

The lance was already a few inches from Shinichi’s nose. The imp snarled. “What would the king say if I marked your pretty little face?”

Shinichi snorted and moved to the side. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and threw it at the imp, striking him on the hand. He screamed and the lance clattered to the ground. 

“Damn you!”

“Cursing at royalty. Another count to your record.” Shinichi kicked the lance away from the imp and focused on a cage. “Stay put while I free the hellhounds.”

With Shinichi’s back turned, the imp began to use his blood to draw runes on the ground. The hellhound barked to get Shinichi’s attention and Shinichi quickly turned around. He glowered at the imp.

“I told you to stay put. Another punishment is in order.”  The imp screamed in terror as an icicle stabbed through the hand he was using to draw the runes on the floor. With both hands unusable, the imp laid on the floor sobbing.

Shinichi looked down at the pathetic display. “I guess I have to work on my ice magic more. I swore it should’ve been more jagged than that.”

Light footsteps entered the room. Shinichi’s attention on the lock was interrupted by a cough. He turned his head to see Akako with a bored look on her face.

“And what have you done now my queen?” Akako said with the handkerchief still pressed firmly against her nose.

“I’m freeing the hellhounds. Can you call over some knights to help with freeing the hellhounds?”

Akako looked at the ground to see the imp with his hand impaled to the floor.

“...Your icicles need work.”

Shinichi groaned at the criticism. “Akako please.”

“We can work on it later. I’ll contact the mutt collection squad as you asked.”

“Thanks Akako.” Shinichi focused on the cage in front of him as Akako walked out of the room to summon for help.

* * *

“So,” Kaito wrapped an arm around Shinichi as they lay in bed, “How were the races?”

Shinichi snorted. “I didn’t watch any.”

“What? How hard was it to sit down and watch some hellhounds run around in a circle?”

“I freed the hellhounds. And the manager of the racetrack was arrested for being terrible. I have some people assigned to find a new manager.” Shinichi scooted closer into Kaito’s chest. “Until then, the hellhounds are in temporary custody in a nearby farm.”

“Oh. Well that sounds like an exciting day. Getting someone arrested. Definitely better than paperwork.”

“He also threatened me with an electric lance.” Shinichi smirked as he felt Kaito’s hold around him tighten.

“Repeat that.” His king was protective as always.

“Don’t worry, I stabbed him in the hand...twice.”

The grip relaxed and Shinichi’s face was instantly peppered with kisses. Kaito’s tail linked with Shinichi’s and the queen felt Kaito shift a bit.

“I’m so proud of you Shinichi. Well done.” Kaito smothered the queen with affection for the rest of the night.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I deceived everyone with the chapter title.
> 
> Actual plot next chapter!


	15. One and Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very plot heavy chapter. Hope everyone enjoys!

“YES! All of the finalization paperwork is complete!” Kaito jumped from his seat and reached over to grab and hug Shinichi.

“Ah, I’m happy for you Kaito.” He patted Kaito on the head, “Hopefully this means you’ll be going to bed at normal times.”

“Of course dear. But there’s also one more thing we must plan for.”

“And what’s that?”

“A celebration!” Kaito lifted Shinichi by the hips and swung him around, “I have to celebrate such a joyous occasion. I’ll invite everyone! Even people I hate!”

“Wait, why would you do that? Invite people you hate?”

“I have to show off the new territory and brag Shinichi, it’s part of being a king.” Kaito kissed Shinichi on the forehead, “I like to show off.”

“So I’ve noticed…”

* * *

Shinichi looked over himself in the mirror as he finished buttoning up the jacket of his navy military uniform. Luckily it still fit since it was the same uniform from his coronation all those months ago. Shinichi adjusted the collar and finished buttoning the cuffs. He gave himself another once over in the mirror and nodded.

“Ready.”

In the back, Kaito grinned. “You’re quite self-conscious aren’t you?”

Shinichi blushed and rolled his eyes. “I have to greet over 100 demons today. I just want to look good for the occasion.”

“You always look good.”

“Shut up.”

Hand in hand, the pair walked out of their room and towards the ballroom. They were soon flanked by Saguru and Akako, who were both dressed in formal wear.

“You two are only seven minutes and twelve seconds late. That’s a record,” said Saguru as they passed a flock of servants pushing food carts. Kaito was able to snag a fruit tart and stuffed it into his mouth. Shinichi swatted the gluttonous king’s head and then looked apologetically at Saguru.

“Sorry Saguru. I just wanted to make sure my appearance was okay.”

“Oh, so it was you and not the king? I suppose it’s fine then.”

Kaito glared at the general. “Stop playing favorites Hakuba.”

The general simply looked away and snorted, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Cease your quibbling.” hissed Akako, “We’re approaching the ballroom.”

Aoko was standing by the entrance of the ballroom, wearing a blue dress that Shinichi had helped her pick out the other day. She smiled as she saw the group arrive.

“About time, a majority of the guests have already arrived. I’ve let some enter, but you should find them to formally greet them.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kaito waved off Aoko, “Don’t worry, I got this. International relations are my forte.”

A firm hand landed on Kaito’s shoulder and the king slightly jumped. Behind him was his mother, smiling darkly.

“Oh really? Then perhaps I should retire and leave everything to you.”

“Mom please don’t embarrass me right now. And you’re great at your job, you should stick with it.”

Chikage chuckled and ruffled Kaito’s hair. His hair wasn’t really ruined since it was already quite unruly in the first place.

The sounds of trumpets blared to announce the arrival of the king and queen. Kaito nodded to Shinichi and grabbed his queen’s hand.

“Ready dear?”

“I’m always ready when you are by my side.”

Hand in hand, they proudly walked into the grand ballroom and waved towards the nobles bowing in reverence towards them. Shinichi made sure to raise his head and not look down at the floor. He would not repeat the events at his first gala. The pair reached the front of the ballroom and stopped to face the vast crowd of demons.

“Thank you and welcome to our celebratory ball. The conquering of Azeria was no easy feat, so we hope that everyone has a grand time celebrating our successes.” Kaito smiled to the crowd and received a round of applause in return.

Next to Kaito, Shinichi mentally sighed. “No easy feat?”...Kaito conquered Azeria in about two days. The only thing that took him a long time was the paperwork to finalize the war.

After all of the clapping subsided, the two reluctantly parted to greet different nobles on opposite sides of the room. The general stood by the king’s side while Akako watched over Shinichi.

Shinichi shook hands with all different types of demons. Devils, behemoths, nekomatas...the list never ended. He smiled at a satyr lord before the lord went to refreshment table for some alcohol. The lord tried to convince Shinichi into sharing a glass, but Shinichi politely declined. Akako glared at the lord until he left.       

“Let me know if there’s anyone making you uncomfortable,” whispered Akako. Shinichi gave her a small smile before greeting the next set of guests.

* * *

 

For the next half hour, Shinichi had a fake smile plastered onto his face as he breezed his way through 12 different conversations. Politics, history, fashion...Shinichi had to pretend to know them all. Akako could clearly see that her queen was beginning to break down from having to talk about pointless things and stepped in front of him before another noble could walk up to him.

“Apologies, but the queen needs a slight break. Would you care to indulge me?”

The lord stammered for a moment and then began to talk about how grand the palace was. Shinichi watched as Akako nodded, obviously bored by the conversation topic. He let out a sigh of relief as he grabbed a cup of water from a nearby servant’s tray. Shinichi drank the water while surveying the rest of the ballroom. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. There was a lot of chatter in the air and smiles all around. The atmosphere was jovial; nothing to complain about.

Shinichi felt someone behind him tap on his shoulder. Thinking it was Akako, he turned around only to be face with chilling golden eyes.

“Good afternoon Queen Shinichi,” the demon picked up Shinichi’s free hand to place a kiss on the knuckles, “it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Not expecting a guest so soon, Shinichi slowly took his hand back and gave a nervous smile.

“It’s nice to meet you too…?”

The tall blonde-haired demon bowed, “Demon Lord Shara at your service. I rule over the Kingdom of Inanna. I’m also an old classmate of Kuroba from magic school. ”

Shinichi did his best to muster all of his knowledge on the Kingdom of Inanna. It wasn’t much.

“Ah yes, we do a lot of agriculture trade with your domain. Thank you for your continued support.”

“The pleasure is all mine Queen Shinichi. But please enlighten me about yourself. How could a king like Kuroba get a demon such as yourself to be his queen?”

Shinichi tried to ignore how the demon lord ignorantly phrased his sentence and gave him a polite smile.

“Kaito is a wonderful and generous king. We met under strange circumstances, but we’ve been together ever since.”

“So where did the two of you meet? Here? Or perhaps farther?”

“N-no. I’m from the Yied Desert. It’s about a days walk from here.”

Lord Shara raised an eyebrow. “The Yied Desert? I thought nothing could live in its intense heat.”

“Yeah, no one lives there anymore. It’s a long story. I owe Kaito my life for freeing me from that horrid desert.”

Lord Shara hummed and gave Shinichi a warm grin before shaking the queen’s hand once more. “It’s been a pleasure. I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon Queen Shinichi.”

Shinichi gave the lord a half-hearted smile and waved as the demon lord went to wander around the party.

Soon another lord came up and distracted Shinichi from relaxing. He wished he could roll his eyes, but it was too late, the lord was already shaking his hand.

“Queen Shinichi, it’s an honor to finally meet you. I’m Baron Valtyr, an old friend to the king.”

Well the last “old friend” of the king was arrested for tax fraud. Shinichi wasn’t going to let his guard down for a moment. He plastered on his fake smile, “It’s wonderful to meet you Baron."

The baron started to drone on and on about his accomplishments, causing Shinichi to eventually tune out. When the Baron paused, Shinichi blinked and nodded.

“W-wonderful Baron Valtyr. That’s nice to hear.”

The grand boar demon guffawed and puffed out his chest. “Right? Please let the king know of my accomplishments. Also, did you know that I—"

“I’m sorry, but I have to attend to my other guests.” Shinichi began to back away slowly, “Please enjoy the rest of the party.” He turned around and began to head towards the area where he left Akako. As Shinichi walked towards the mage, who was still engaged in conversation, he felt a shock as a warm hand reached out to grab his. The hand interlaced their fingers and pulled him into a hug. Shinichi froze, his body unresponsive to anything as an arm tightened around his middle.

“One. I’ve finally found you.” 

Shinichi stayed still in the person’s arms. For some reason, he couldn’t immediately push them away. They seemed familiar somehow.

Akako's aura flared through the room, “Hands off the queen." Akako was glowing bright red, her hands already poised to cast a spell. The person holding Shinichi only tightened their grip as another demon came in between Akako and the other. They viciously glared at Akako and went into a defensive stance.

“I recognize your scent. You’re the one who killed Emerald. Should’ve known it was a filthy human.”

Akako lips curled into a snarl and the sinister aura around her increased. The party guests began to distance themselves as to not get in the way of Akako’s wrath. Akako’s eyes narrowed at the person who was holding Shinichi.

“You have ten seconds to unhand my queen before I repeat what happened to the stupid lizard _mutt._ ”

The beast tamer gulped and the demon holding Shinichi refused to budge. Shinichi was scared, but couldn’t bring himself to speak. Shinichi looked up at the person holding him. It was a female with brown hair that cascaded past her shoulders. There were white tipped wolf ears on her head as well as something pointy off to the side. She looked down at Shinichi with warm blue eyes and smiled.

“Don’t worry One. I won’t allow them to hurt you. I’m here for you.”

Shinichi’s eyebrows shot up in confusion. This demon might be insane. Shinichi finally felt some of his strength return and tried to break the woman’s grip, but she held on. She tilted her head in confusion and the ears on top of her head folded downwards.

“What’s wrong? If you struggle, I’ll lose my grip.”

“That’s exactly what I want. Unhand me now.” Shinichi ripped his hand out of the female demon’s hand and pushed her away. Shinichi saw that the demon was surprised before trying to reach for him again. This time, he swung his leg in a sweeping motion and caused the woman to trip. As the woman on the floor recovered, a red wall came in between Shinichi and the female demon. He walked towards Akako and watched as the mage began to form a bubble around the pair.

Kaito and Saguru made his way to Akako and Shinichi. Kaito thoroughly inspected Shinichi before bringing him into a hug.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner. They’ll be dealt with swiftly.”

“Wait Kaito, they didn’t do anything.”

Akako snorted. “That mutt's partner embraced you without permission.” She closed her hand and the barrier shrunk. The pair inside the bubble stood back to back and glared at Akako.

“Akako, send them to the dungeon. They’ve ruined the party’s atmosphere.” Akako nodded and the bubble with the two intruders disappeared. Kaito kept an arm around Shinichi as he turned to the bewildered guests.

Kaito cleared his throat and then began to speak, “Apologies, it seems some uninvited guests have made their way into our splendid celebration. It’s been taken care of, so please continue to enjoy the rest of the celebration.”

Shinichi heard many whispers and murmurs, but it died down as soon as the orchestra began to play. Soon enough, the previous buzz of chatter began to fill the room. Some nobles approached Shinichi to ask if he was okay and the queen assured them he was fine. Kaito made sure to stay by Shinichi’s side for the rest of the party. The king held his queen firmly and even tied their tails together.

Shinichi tried to calm Kaito down, but the look in Kaito’s eyes told him that there would be no way to convince him.

* * *

“Kaito…I’m fine. She didn’t hurt me.”

Shinichi saw that Kaito’s lips were drawn into a thin line as several of the guests waved goodbye to the couple. Kaito quickly put a smile on his face and waved back.

“Kaito! Stop ignoring me.”

“I’m not ignoring you dear.”

“Then why have you been stuck to my side like glue?”

Kaito’s hand squeezed Shinichi’s hip, causing the queen to yelp and swat at the king. Kaito chuckled.

“I love being by your side.”

Shinichi blushed and a few lords walking by saw the dispute and laughed. As Kaito waved them goodbye, Shinichi wanted to hide his face and disappear.

Finally, the last set of guests left, and the servants scurried in to begin cleaning the ballroom. Kaito led Shinichi out of the ballroom and started heading to their bedroom. Shinichi tugged on Kaito’s sleeve and the king raised an eyebrow.

“Wait a minute, shouldn’t we be heading to dungeon?”

“I’m escorting you to our room before heading there.” Shinichi gave the king a deadpan look before removing his hand from the king’s.

“You don’t have to. I’m going to the dungeon to speak with them.”

Kaito frowned. “You will do no such thing.”

They stared at each other’s eyes in silence, both unrelenting in their resolve. Finally, Kaito pouted and let out a sigh.

“You know I can’t resist those beautiful eyes. Alright, we’ll go together. If they do anything to upset you, I’ll kill them on the spot.”

“I just want to know who they are. She called me ‘One’ for some reason. I...I want to say it felt familiar.”

Kaito hummed in understanding and began to walk with the queen towards the dungeon area. “Well, let’s sate your curiosity then.”

The two walked in relative silence towards the dungeon. Shinichi began to feel nervous as they approached the cell. Saguru and Akako were already there, both stone-faced as they looked at the prisoners in the cell. Akako saw the queen and raised an eyebrow.

“Why is the queen here? He doesn’t need to see this.”

Kaito shrugged. “Shinichi’s really good at convincing me.” He went over to stand in front of the cell. The two prisoners had sealing runes all over their body, courtesy of Akako. Kaito whistled, “Wow, you even sealed their ability to think? That’s sort of mean.”

The mage sneered. “They insulted me and assaulted my queen. They deserve every seal I have.”

“Alright, lift some of the seals. Shinichi wants to talk to them first.” The queen went to stand by the king. Shinichi watched as the glowing runes began to disappear and the two prisoners let out deep breaths as they finally felt their limbs.

The beast tamer slammed forward into the cell bars snarling, “You’ll regret that you human bitch.”

The deadliness of Akako’s glare could be felt for miles. “You should be thanking my queen right now. If it were my choice, you two would have been executed in the ballroom. Being sealed was a blessing for mutts like you.”

The beast tamer rattled the bars and reached her hand out to try and grab at Akako. Saguru came forward and unsheathed his sword. He pointed it at the beast tamer.

“Silence. The queen wishes to speak with you two. Either take our queen’s kindness or we’ll silence you ourselves.”

The beast tamer backed away from the cell bars and the female with the wolf ears stepped forward.

“One? Do you recognize me?”

Shinichi looked into her eyes. He didn’t have any recollection of ever meeting this demon. He shook his head and the other frowned.

“My name is Two. Do you remember me now? Look deep inside of your heart.”

Kaito snorted. “Did I really just hear that from a demon?” Kaito looked at her with a smug grin, “If there’s anything in Shinichi’s heart, it’s his undying love for me.”

Both Saguru and Akako rolled their eyes at the absurdity of their king. Shinichi blushed and elbowed Kaito.

“You’re embarrassing me!” Kaito kissed Shinichi on the cheek.

“I just want to show these people who you belong to.”

Kaito’s statement instantly brought a frown of disgust on Two’s face.

“One doesn’t belong to anyone. They are their own being. Demons like _you_ are the reason we were hidden away for so long.”

Everyone’s attention was then pulled to Two, who looked like she was ready to rip out Kaito’s throat. Her claws were grating against the bars and a fang could be seen protruding from her lip.

The beast tamer put a hand on Two’s shoulder. “Babe, please calm down before we get sealed again.” Two let out a deep sigh and released the bars. She looked towards Shinichi with earnest.

“Please One, come home. We can all be together again.”

“I already am home.” Shinichi grabbed onto Kaito’s hand, “I owe Kaito everything.”

Two snarled towards Kaito, who only seemed smug. “Is he the one who took you away from us then?”

“Took me away? Kaito freed me from my prison at the Yied Desert. He found me there.”

“The Yied Desert?” Two seemed very confused, “That is not our home. Is he not the one who kidnapped you from us?”

“Kidnapped?!” exclaimed Shinichi, “I can vouch for Kaito. It wasn’t him.”

“Hmm.” Kaito scratched his cheek, “It’s possible that those villagers from the secret village kidnapped Shinichi. I just happened upon him after someone said he was a weapon.” He looked at Two with apathy, “So, you claim that you know Shinichi. If so, what state did I find him in?”

“How is she supposed to know?” asked Akako, “And are you really buying this my king?”

“Just shh. We could be getting some interesting Shinichi backstory in a moment.”

Two looked apprehensive but saw that Shinichi was also expecting an answer. She sighed as she finally said, “Since you two look so similar, then it must mean you found him in stasis form, the first form of our people. He should have been similar to an egg. If you break the egg and come into contact with our spirit, you establish a bond and your mana shapes us.”

“Holy shit,” whispered Kaito, “She’s correct.”

Shinichi grimaced as he thought back to his time in the egg. He felt Kaito’s hand squeeze his and looked up to see the king with a reassuring grin.

Kaito smirked, “Alright, you’ve piqued my interest. What is your relationship to Shinichi?”

Two looked to Shinichi, but he refused to meet her eyes. She sighed in disappointment. “We were born close together. Since we were in close proximity, I familiarized myself with their aura...but it seems that One no longer recognizes mine.”

“S-sorry.” whispered Shinichi, “I try not to remember my times in the egg.”

Two looked at him curiously, “What happened while you were in stasis?”

Shinichi bit his lip. The memories were mostly fuzzy. “I just remember the darkness...and the loneliness. The people of the Yied Desert worshipped me, but...never showed me any warmth.” He gripped Kaito harder, “That’s why I’m grateful to be with Kaito.”

“One...I’m so sorry you felt that way. Stasis is supposed to be a happy period,” Two offered her hand out, “Let me show you.”

Kaito frowned as he saw Shinichi hesitate. “Shinichi, you don’t have to touch her if you don’t want to.”

“I-I want to understand why Two is here. And why she seems so familiar.” He placed his palm on top of hers and felt a shock go throughout his body. Shinichi’s eyes widened as he saw images pass his eyes. Visions of days relaxing under the sun swarmed through Shinichi’s head. The brightest memory was when Two’s bond mate finally found her after so long. The beast tamer Sera was the most beautiful thing Two had ever seen, they would never separate ever—

“Shinichi?! Dear are you okay?”

Kaito’s concerned voice caused the images to disappear and Shinichi found himself on the ground in Kaito’s arms. He didn’t even realize he was sweating and panting.

“W-what happened?”

“As soon as you touched Two, you fainted. We had to reseal both of them.”

“No!” Shinichi yelled, “They’re innocent. Please Kaito!” Kaito looked towards Akako and the mage snapped her fingers, instantly unsealing the two prisoners.

The two instantly regained their movement. Two looked at Shinichi with concern, “I’m so sorry One, are you hurt? I didn’t mean to harm you.”

“I’m fine. It was just strange. But now I know you’re definitely not a threat.”

“She isn’t?” asked Kaito with a hint of doubt.

“They’re here for me. But now that they’ve found me, their mission is complete.” Shinichi met Two’s eyes and reached for her hand. Two took it and Shinichi smiled.

“I’m home Ran. I’m sorry but I can’t go back with you.”

Two gasped and the beast tamer behind her looked indignant. Sera snarled, “Oh hell no. Our mission is to bring you home One. We ain’t goin back without you.”

“I am home Sera.” Shinichi gestured to the three demons behind him, “These demons are my family now. I will never leave them.” Shinichi turned to Akako, “Will you please free them and pardon them of their charges? They didn’t mean any harm.”

Akako’s eyes narrowed at Shinichi. “Is that an order my queen?”

Shinichi, unfazed by Akako’s gaze, nodded and the mage sighed. She snapped her fingers and a light shone from the cell. Akako glowered at the ex-prisoners, “Your seals have been lifted. Thank the queen for his generosity.” She crossed her arms and looked away.

The two hesitantly walked out of the cell, still apprehensive about their new freedom. Shinichi took both of their hands.

“You two have come a long way. I’ll prepare a room for you two.”

“They’re staying the night?!” Kaito said incredulously. Even Ran and Sera looked surprised. Shinichi huffed.

“Yes. They are. I still want to talk to them, but they’re tired from today’s events. I don’t want to hear any complaints.” Shinichi quickly dragged the two away, leaving the three in front of the empty cell. Kaito watched the retreating figures until they were out of hearing range.

“Akako. Saguru.” Kaito’s voice had no trace of humor.

Akako snorted. “You don’t even have to ask. I’ll make sure their room is under surveillance the entire time.”

Saguru nodded at the king. “And I’ll set up extra knights around the corners. Doubling the night patrol won’t hurt either.”

“Good. I’ll get Shinichi and retire for the night. I’m counting on you two.” With the plan set, the three left the dungeon and went on their respective paths.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: The first hint that Akako was human was in Chapter 2. I even put a hint in the Otaku Shinichi side series. 
> 
> And there you go, the subplot has been addressed. Did you guess who they were before the dungeon scene?
> 
> Next chapter continues off of this one. See you all next time!


	16. Show Me Proof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all. Welcome to Chapter 16!

After yesterday’s exciting events, Shinichi woke up smothered under a sleeping Kaito. He groaned and tried to push the dead weight off to no avail.

“Kaito...get off.”

Kaito mumbled into the sheets and tightened his hold over Shinichi. The king was definitely awake.

“Kaitooooo!”

“Mmmrrmmm nah.”

Shinichi pushed Kaito away, only for Kaito to grab at his hips and tug him back.

“Staaaay.”

“I want to see Ran and Sera. They might be scared to wake up in a new environment.”

Kaito frowned. He almost forgot about their new guests. Kaito tightened his grip around Shinichi’s waist.

“We can go together after breakfast.”

“I want to eat breakfast with them.”

Kaito pouted. “I want to eat breakfast with you.”

“Okay then, we can all eat together.”

Kaito gave the queen a deadpan stare. It wasn’t exactly what he wanted, but it’ll have to do.

* * *

This had to be the most awkward breakfast Kaito has ever had.

Since Kaito still didn’t trust their suspicious visitors, he insisted on eating in the room that the visitors were currently staying in. The beast tamer scoffed at the remark.

“Gee it’s like he just upgraded our cell.”

Ran hit her partner on the arm, “Sera! Be polite!”

Sera grumbled and sat herself on the provided chairs in the middle of the guestroom. Ran sat herself next to Sera and gestured for Shinichi to take the seat across from her. Shinichi smiled and sat. Shinichi looked to Kaito and patted the seat next to him.

“Come on Kaito, didn’t you say you were hungry?”

Kaito looked at the clearly angry person he would have to sit across and gulped. He sat down and avoided Sera’s glare by looking towards Shinichi. The servants entered and began to set the table and laid out dishes with breakfast foods. Sera’s frown disappeared as she eyed the platters and soon, all four demons were eating.

Kaito held a fork full of egg to Shinichi’s mouth, “Try this dear, you’ll love it.” Shinichi eyed the dripping yolk before closing his mouth over the egg. He hummed in delight.

“That was good! What did the chefs do to make it so juicy?”

“It’s yolk dear. It’s called a sunny side up egg. I usually prefer it boiled a bit more, but this batch seems to be a bit undercooked. If you like it, I can request it more often.”

The eating atmosphere took a dip as Kaito felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up from his meal to see Ran blankly staring at him.

Kaito put down his utensils. “Is there something on my face?”

Ran glared at the king as she stabbed a piece of sausage on her platter. “What do you want from One? Why do you insist on keeping him here?”

As Kaito gaped at Ran, Shinichi looked affronted, “Ran!”

“Listen One, he might fool you, but he can’t fool me. I know he’s hiding something.”

After recovering from the mood shift, Kaito put an arm around Shinichi. “Listen Two, Ran, whatever you prefer; I don’t have any ulterior motives regarding Shinichi. We’ve been living together for over a year now and I’m positive he can tell you I haven’t forced him to do anything against his will.”

Ran continued to glare at Kaito while Sera gave the king a distasteful frown. Shinichi put a hand on Kaito’s shoulder.

“It’s true Ran. Kaito’s been nothing but kind to me. He’s been patient with me as I learned about the world. There’s no one I trust more than Kaito.”

The pair still looked apprehensive and breakfast continued in awkward silence.

* * *

 

“Come home with us One.”

Shinichi sighed out of exasperation. This was the 20th time that Ran had asked him this day.

“Ran, I’ve told you multiple times: this is my home. I’m never leaving.” He turned away but quickly turned back, “You know you can call me Shinichi right? It’s my real name.”

Ran frowned and Shinichi could see her lip curl in disgust, “Let me guess, it’s the name the king gave you?”

“Yeah! How did you know?”

She rolled her eyes, “We tend to latch onto names our bond mates give us. Sera named me as well.”

Speaking of Sera, the beast tamer was several paces behind the two as they all walked in the rose garden. They weren’t the only ones in the garden. Shinichi could sense Akako was watching from afar and sometimes he could spy a certain general behind the numerous rose bushes. Kaito was unfortunately stuck in a meeting with Aoko and another noble.

They found a wooden bench in the middle of the garden and decided to rest. Shinichi was giving them a tour of the castle and he thought that they should take a break. Ran sat next to him and Sera stood and stared at the two of them. Shinichi awkwardly looked at the ground; he didn’t like being the center of attention.

Ran put a hand on his shoulder, “So One, when will you return—”

Okay that’s it.

Shinichi briskly shoved off Ran’s hand, “Ran please! I’m not leaving and there’s no convincing me otherwise! I’m staying with Kaito and that’s final!”

Shinichi heard Sera groan and saw that the beast tamer was rubbing her temples. Ran looked at him with wide eyes.

“But One—”

“No! I’m sick of saying the same thing,” Shinichi took one of Ran’s hands and squeezed it, “I’m touched that you traveled so far to find me, but I don’t want to leave here.” When he saw that Ran didn’t look convinced, he gripped her hand harder, “What will it take? How can I prove that I’m happy here?”

Ran was shocked into silence by Shinichi’s outburst. She looked away, unsure of what to say. Shinichi waited patiently for her to say something. Finally, Ran stood up and pointed at Shinichi, her eyes full of conviction.

“If you really want to stay, then you need to show me that this king of yours is worthy of you. Only then will I acknowledge him.”

Shinichi blinked. Then blinked again.

“Kaito’s proven his strength a bunch of times. He conquered an entire country and saved me from a wyvern.”

Ran crossed her arms, “Strength isn’t everything. I won’t leave until I see proof.”

“Proof of what?”

“I won’t say anymore! He’ll have to figure it out himself.”

* * *

 That night in their bedroom, Kaito raised an eyebrow as he listened to Shinichi’s summary of the rose garden conversation, “I have to what?”

“Prove yourself. I’m not sure how though.” Shinichi scratched his head and held his chin in contemplation.

“Did you mention how I conquered Azeria in a day?”

“Yeah! And she didn’t think it was enough.”

Kaito pouted and pulled the blanket towards him, “Then how the hell do I prove myself?”

“She wouldn’t give me any other clues. She was all huffy and adamant about figuring it out yourself.”

“Well I guess I just have to prove how much I love you.” Kaito snuggled closer to Shinichi and nosed at the queen’s neck, “Let’s start now~”

“K-Kai!”

* * *

 

The next day, Shinichi visited Ran and Sera in their guest room. They weren’t allowed to freely wander the castle without an escort, which was Shinichi’s job yesterday. He entered the room and saw Ran immediately stand up and point at him.

“O-ONE! Why do you smell different?”

Shinichi sniffed his sleeve, “I...smell? I bathed this morning.” With Kaito in the tub as well, but Ran didn’t need to know that.

Her face was red as she stammered, “Y-you’re that close? I didn’t think you two were in that stage of your relationship.”

Shinichi’s eyes widened as he realized what Ran was implying. He blushed bright red and Sera was trying to hold back her laughs at the other side of the room.

“Holy shit babe, I didn’t think One would get to third base before we did.”

“SERA!” Ran went over to slap Sera on the back of the head before returning to Shinichi and taking his hand. “As for you, you shouldn’t be doing those types of things! You’re still so young.”

Shinichi took back his hand and stepped away, “Ran, I think I’m capable of making my own decisions.”

“Still...coitus is—”

Shinichi quickly put a hand over her mouth, “I really don’t want to have this conversation right now.” He never wanted to talk about his sex life with anyone. Shinichi hurried and thought of a distraction, “So um, where are we from? I don’t remember much like I mentioned before.”

“Oh I’d love to tell you! You should’ve told me you were interested in our heritage sooner!” Shinichi wasn’t very interested but anything was better than talking about his night time activities with Kaito.

Ran took a seat and pulled Shinichi down next to her. “So to start, we’re from a hidden village deep in the forests of the Cheld region. It was known for its bountiful harvests and verdant plains.”

“Just like Azeria. Interesting.” It took a second for Shinichi to notice her phrasing, “‘Was’?”

Both Sera’s and Ran’s face darkened. Sera moved closer and put a hand on Ran’s shoulder.

The room was silent and Shinichi knew he brought up something bad.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, we can talk about something else!”

Ran shook her head, “No you deserve to know. Our home was burned to the ground the day you were taken from us.”

Shinichi’s eyes widened, “Burned to the ground? I thought it was a hidden village...How did—?”

“We escaped in the nick of time,” explained Sera, “Everyone else wasn’t so lucky. At the end of the scourge, there was only a handful of us left.”

Shinichi put a comforting hand on Ran’s thigh, “I’m sorry I didn’t know. You didn’t show me in that vision the other day.”

“I try not to remember that night, much like how you refuse to remember your time in stasis.” She hugged Shinichi tightly, “This is why I want you to come with us. We can rebuild the village and call it home again.”

Shinichi sighed and patted Ran’s back, “I really am sorry Ran, but you’ve already heard my answer.”

Ran looked at him with disappointment and Shinichi couldn’t look her in the eyes. When he felt a hand over his, he looked up and saw Ran with a small smile.

“I know the conversation turned slightly downwards,” Ran said as she squeezed Shinichi’s hand, “but would you still like to learn more about us?”

“Of course,” nodded Shinichi, “I’d like that.”

“Very well then. You may have guessed already, but your form is based off the desires of your bond mate. Your bond mate is regretfully that pompous king.” Ran rolled her eyes as she spoke, “What a narcissist.”

Sera broke out in laughter and Shinichi blushed out of embarrassment.

“I think we look different,” said Shinichi, a slight pout on his face. The two looked at him with disbelief.

“Barely!” exclaimed Sera, “You’re lucky that Ran can sense auras or I would’ve thought you were the king’s twin brother or something.” She snorted while Ran giggled.

Shinichi groaned and Ran continued to laugh at her partner’s joke. After the laughter subsided, Sera kissed Ran on the cheek, making Shinichi blush.

“You two k-kiss?”

Sera smirked, “Well yeah, we’re partners. Except we’re not on the naughty stage like you and the king.”

Shinichi wanted to crawl into a corner and die after hearing that. He covered his face as he heard Sera and Ran’s laughter echo through the room.

* * *

That evening in their bedroom, Kaito nodded attentively as Shinichi finished his story about his afternoon with Ran and Sera. He almost exploded from laughter after the part about their sex life, but Shinichi’s glare silenced him.

“Damn, I thought a beast tamer would jump at the chance to mate.”

“Kaito please shut up.”

Kaito chuckled and patted Shinichi on the head. “Sorry dear. But the rest of the story was quite interesting. Cheld is such a quiet land, I don’t have any ties with them at all. If you wish, we could visit it and you can see where you’re from.”

Shinichi stared at the king, shocked. “Seriously?”

“Well yeah,” Kaito said shrugging, “I don’t see a problem with you visiting your homeland. As long as I’m with you of course.”

“Kaito...don’t you have a kingdom to rule?”

“Can’t do that if my queen’s distracted,” Kaito said with a wink. Shinichi’s eyes softened and he scooted closer to Kaito.

“Thanks Kaito. This means a lot to me.”

“You’re very welcome Shinichi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will also end weekly chapters. Sorry, I just don't feel like it anymore.


	17. A Splendid Celebration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 17 folks. Hope you all enjoy this fun-filled chapter~
> 
> Semi-important Author's Note at the end.

Shinichi was startled when Kaito crashed into their bedroom and immediately bowed on the floor.

“Forgive me Shinichi!! I’m so sorry!” pleaded Kaito from the ground. Shinichi just stared at him warily, confused about the entire situation. He looked around and checked outside the windows to make sure nothing was on fire. Everything seemed fine…

“Um, what’s wrong? Did you mess up a negotiation or something?”

Kaito lifted his head, regret spread all over his face. “I’m deeply sorry Shinichi, but we can’t travel to Cheld right away. Forgive me for breaking a promise.”

Shinichi looked at Kaito with a blank face before he exploded into laughter. Shinichi laughed so hard that his stomach hurt and he had to wipe a few tears away from his eyes. Kaito just watched the queen slowly make his way to sit on the bed, too tired from laughing to continue standing. After catching his breath, Shinichi just smiled at Kaito.

“It’s fine Kaito, I wasn’t expecting to go there tomorrow or anything. Cheld isn’t going anywhere. We have a kingdom to run in the meantime.”

“But that’s just it,” Kaito said as he lifted himself off of the floor, “I literally got all my work cleared for the next week and a half and I learn that a meeting that was supposed to be scheduled in five days is getting postponed because it’s some dumb council member’s birthday.” Kaito flopped next to Shinichi on the bed and groaned into the sheets. “Ugh, I was so ready for this vacation.”

Shinichi ignored the fact that Kaito called a visit to his homeland a vacation and zeroed in on the word “birthday”. “Um, what’s a birthday? I’m guessing a day to celebrate birth?” Shinichi looked queasy, “Why would you all celebrate giving birth…”

“No no no, it’s not what you think!” Kaito said quickly, “It’s about celebrating the anniversary of one’s birth. Not...giving birth.”

“Ohhh. Why do you celebrate it then?”

“It’s more like celebrating the fact that you lived another year. Usually it’s more for children since we demons live a long time,” Kaito shrugged, “after 1000 or so years, we don’t care too much.”

Kaito hit a sudden realization and grabbed Shinichi by the shoulders, “Hey, when’s your birthday?”

Shinichi looked up at Kaito’s frenzied stare with concern, “I...don’t have one?”

“How could you not have one? Weren’t you laid by a huge cockatrice or something? What’s the earliest day you can remember?”

Shinichi’s face scrunched up as he thought back to his earliest memories. He didn’t really have a sense of time since he was stuck in an egg. Shinichi shrugged, “People don’t really say the date out loud, so I’m not sure when I was born.” Shinichi took Kaito’s hand and tightly grasped it, “To be really honest, I think my life truly started when I met you. The day we bonded should be my birthday.”

Kaito blushed and twined his tail with Shinichi’s. His queen was the only one who could turn his heart into utter mush and he loved every second.

“Well if you want that day to be your birthday, then so be it.” Kaito recalled the day and frowned, “Damn, it’s been over a year since you’ve arrived. Technically your birthday has already passed this year.”

“We can always celebrate it next time.” Shinichi was about to stand up but Kaito quickly pulled him back down.

“Nonsense. We can celebrate it tomorrow.”

“But I thought my birthday passed?”

“We can still throw a celebration in your honor. A belated birthday party for my darling queen.” Kaito kissed Shinichi’s cheek, “I’ll start the preparations now. Go ahead and sleep. I’ll return later.”

Shinichi pouted, “But I wanna sleep with you.”

Kaito was already standing up and heading towards the door, “Your pout won’t work this time dear. Just go to sleep knowing that tomorrow will be all about you.”

Shinichi crossed his arms. He thought his pout would work for sure.

“Fine. But you better be there when I wake up.”

”Of course!” Kaito blew a kiss to Shinichi “Good night Shinichi. Sweet dreams!” Kaito shut the door behind him, leaving Shinichi alone in the room. Shinichi started shifting the comforter so it covered him. It seems he was going to be alone tonight…

* * *

 

Shinichi awoke to fingers running through his hair. He leaned into the touch so the fingers would reach more and got a chuckle in return. The fingers retreated and Shinichi felt a tug on his sleeve.

“Wake up my dear queen. Breakfast awaits.”

Shinichi heard the clinking of plates and then smelled a wonderful aroma in the air. The temptation was too great. He stretched his arms and finally opened his eyes. Kaito was next to him with a tray of breakfast foods.

“Good morning. How was your sleep?”

“It would’ve been better if you were there,” Shinichi said grabbing a fork to stab at a piece of ham.

“Sorry dear, I had to prepare everything for your special day. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

Shinichi chewed with a thoughtful look on his face. After swallowing, he gave Kaito a wary look.

“I’ll forgive you...eventually.” He stabbed another piece of ham and shoveled some egg into it, “So what do you do on birthdays anyways?”

Kaito scratched his head. “Great question. I haven’t celebrated mine in a few hundred years, so I had to bother the others about it.”

“So everyone knows about today huh?” That means a lot of attention will be on him. Shinichi began to feel a little anxious. “What’s first on the birthday agenda?”

Kaito sidled closer to Shinichi, making sure not to bump the tray, “I wanted to spend some alone time with you. And, um just relax. Does that sound nice?”

Shinichi’s eyes softened, “Of course, I’d love that.”

* * *

 

After finishing up breakfast, Shinichi dressed up in some casual clothing and went with Kaito to their rose garden. Hand in hand, they happily walked and conversed. Shinichi grabbed a hose and began to water some of the bushes. At first, Kaito was against Shinichi watering the vast garden himself, but the serene look on Shinichi’s face made him take back his argument. He watched as Shinichi went to individual bushes to prune some of the more unruly stems.

Shinichi stuck out his tongue in concentration as he clipped four branches that stuck out of the squarish bush. It seems he neglected his gardening duties for too long. The branches fell and landed beside him, eventually becoming a fat pile of stems and leaves. He wiped some sweat off of his brow. Shinichi was beginning to feel tired from the heat of the sun and all the effort he was putting into his garden.

Kaito quietly walked over, not wanting to disturb Shinichi, especially with a sharp tool in the queen’s hand. He stood behind Shinichi, who was looking up at a different bush. This one wasn’t a rose one but just a regular bush.

“Aren’t you going to prune it like the others?” asked Kaito. Shinichi hummed and shook his head.

“I read a book the other day about something called topiary. I want to try it.”

Kaito shrugged, “It’s your birthday and your garden. Do whatever you wish.”

“Alright then, fetch me the ladder in the greenhouse. I’ll be using it.”

Kaito retrieved the metal ladder from the nearby greenhouse. He set it up for Shinichi and watched as Shinichi climbed up and began to shear the top of the bush like a madman. It was quite the contrast compared to the small snips he did for the rose bushes.

“Dear please don’t hurt yourself,” yelled Kaito, hoping that Shinichi heard him over the violent cutting. Apparently Shinichi did hear him and gave a nonchalant thumbs up before returning to hacking at the center of the bush. Kaito returned to the marble bench he was sitting on and just watched Shinichi...do his thing.

About twenty minutes later, Kaito was about to take a nap on the bench. He was bored. Kaito was about to make it public, but he heard Shinichi make a sound of triumph. Standing up, Kaito returned to Shinichi’s side and looked at the remains of the bush.

…

What the hell happened to the bush?

“Do you like my masterpiece?” Shinichi asked, eyes gleaming, “I think it’s very accurate.”

Kaito looked at Shinichi’s “masterpiece” and faked a grin. “Of course darling, it looks...great.”

The topiary was now only a fourth of its original size. Instead of being a square, it was now more of an uneven oval with about two rectangles sticking out of the top of the oval.

“Do you think he’ll like it?”

“Huh? Who?”

“Saguru of course! Do you think he’ll like it? I really tried to shape his horns better, but I ran out of branches.”

“This is supposed to be the general?!” Kaito exclaimed. He was about to burst out in laughter, but the small pout on Shinichi’s face made him stop.

Shinichi looked down and kicked some fallen leaves. “Well yeah, who did you think it was?”

Kaito thought it was supposed to be something abstract, but apparently he was wrong. He definitely had to think of something fast or he was going to ruin his queen’s first birthday. Kaito nervously chuckled, “Aw darn. I thought it was supposed to be me. I’m so envious.” The last sentence was said with his fingers crossed behind his back.

Shinichi’s pout disappeared and it was replaced with a haughty smirk, “Sorry for the confusion Kaito, but I guess you both have pretty large horns. It’s an easy mistake to make.” Shinichi began to gather the fallen branches on the ground and took them to nearest trash receptacle, “You can be the next topiary I do. Perhaps you’ll be the center of the east wing.”

Kaito’s eye twitched as he looked at the horror that was apparently the general, “I’d be honored.” He paid his respects to the monstrosity before assisting Shinichi with the clean up.

* * *

 

After cleaning up the garden, the two took a quick bath to get rid of the sweat (and in Shinichi’s case, leaves) on their bodies. This time, the two wore their matching royal uniforms when they walked out. Hand in hand and tail in tail, they proudly walked out of their room. Each servant they passed by in the hallway bowed and greeted Shinichi. It made him slightly embarrassed.

“How did you manage to get everyone in on it?”

Kaito smirked, “I can do anything as long as it’s for you.” Unbeknownst to the queen, Kaito made sure to post the information in each of the servants’ quarters. The small threat of banishment was all it took for everyone to memorize the schedule.

Kaito guided Shinichi to the closed doors of the banquet room. He paused as they both approached the door.

“Ready darling?”

Shinichi felt slightly nervous. His tail tightened its grip over Kaito’s. “I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Alright then.” With a forceful push, Kaito opened the doors to the banquet room. Shinichi’s eyes widened as he took in all of the sights.

The room was lined with streamers and balloons across the ceilings and pillars. A huge banner with the words “Happy Birthday” was plastered against the back wall. Shinichi gasped as Kaito took his hand to bring him further inside the room. A wide table was in the center of the room where his family was waiting. Even Ran and Sera were smiling at him.

A loud “Happy Birthday SHINICHI!” rang out from the table. Shinichi blushed at all of the attention and was about to hide behind Kaito’s back. Already knowing how overwhelmed the Queen was, Kaito slightly pushed him forward.

“It’s your special day darling. You should be the center of attention.”

“You know I hate that,” hissed Shinichi. He would’ve said more but Ran came forward and pulled Shinichi into a hug.

“I didn’t know it was your birthday! You should’ve said something.” Ran looked a little put down, “I could’ve bought a gift.”

Shinichi attempted to shrug in her tight grasp but failed. “To be honest, I didn’t know either.”

The others began to crowd around Shinichi and greet him as well. Aoko and Saguru handed him a wrapped box while Akako gave him a book.

“There’s no need for me to wrap it,” said Akako, “It’s a book he’s wanted for a while.”

Shinichi’s eyes widened as he read the title of the book. “How did you even get a copy of this?!”

Akako winked, “I have my sources. Enjoy it my dear queen.”

Kaito squinted at the cover page, “Hey, that isn’t a magic book that’s—”

Aoko wedged herself between the mage and the queen, “Heeeey, no fair Akako! I wanted the queen to open our gift first!” She thrusted her gift into Shinichi’s arms. “We hope you like it Shinichi! It’s a gift that Saguru and I picked out together.”

“How the hell did you two manage to get a gift for him in less than fifteen hours?” Kaito asked with a raised eyebrow. Aoko smacked him in the shoulder before returning her attention to Shinichi who was carefully undoing the gift wrap. Under the wrap was a cardboard box. Shinichi opened the flaps and took out the object inside, making Kaito double over in laughter.

“I can’t believe you two! Seriously?!”

Saguru glared at the king while Aoko punched him in the head. Kaito rubbed the sore spot while Shinichi looked at his gift with curiosity.

“So is this a satchel? Why is it so small?”

“It’s a bag for your waist!” explained Aoko, “it’s compact and keeps your personal belongings close together. Saguru thought it would be a good place to store your knives since you apparently just leave them in your pockets.” She unfastened the buckle and buckled it over Shinichi’s hip, “See? Perfect fit. Saguru was scared you were too skinny for it, but I knew it would be just right.”

Both Saguru and Shinichi turned red after being outed. Kaito recovered from his laughter and wiped a tear from his eye.

“Still can’t believe you got the queen a fanny pack. Out of all the things in the underworld.”

Out of nowhere, Ran huffed, a sneer marring her face, “I don’t see you with anything Demon King. Your vassals have presented the queen with their gifts. Where the hell is yours?”

Sera looked at her girlfriend nervously, “Babe you have to remember where we are right now.”

Ran snorted and rolled her eyes, “I’m just saying. All he’s done is mock their gifts when he hasn’t even gifted anything to One yet.”

Shinichi noticed the atmosphere of the room begin to shift. He could feel the slight annoyance radiating off of Kaito and set about to calm everything down.

“It’s fine Ran,” said Shinichi, “He already set up this entire event. I think it’s enough—”

Kaito interrupted Shinichi with a loud cough, “Well I wanted to do it in private, but since Two over there is just _so_ curious as to what I got Shinichi, then fine.” Kaito glanced at Ran with a blank face before turning to Shinichi. “Can I make a small request? Close your eyes darling.” Shinichi closed his eyes and Kaito reached into his pocket and retrieved a small box. Stepping behind Shinichi, the small crowd watched as a silver chain was looped around Shinichi’s neck. A small charm dangled towards his collarbone. It was too small for anyone to see.

“You can open your eyes now,” whispered Kaito. Shinichi looked down to see the new pendant around his neck. He picked up the charm to inspect it closely. It was in the shape of a rose.

“It’s made from my pure mana. I crystallized it and shaped it into a rose just for you.” Kaito cupped Shinichi’s cheek, “My dearest rose.” He softly kissed Shinichi on the lips.

Shinichi’s face felt like it was on fire and he buried himself in Kaito’s chest. He heard a whistle in the background and a couple of groans.

“I feel like I’ve intruded on something,” muttered Saguru to his wife. Aoko nodded.

* * *

 

After the hype from the gift exchange calmed down, everyone sat around the table and waited for the servants to bring out the food. Shinichi was forced to sit the head of the table, his face obviously showing how uneasy he was about being the center of attention once again. When Kaito noticed this, he scooted his chair next to Shinichi.

“All you had to say was that you wanted to sit next to me darling~”

Shinichi playfully pushed Kaito away but pulled him back to lace their fingers together, “Shut up.” It was his way of silently thanking Kaito.

The servants arrived and brought out silver dishes filled with Shinichi’s favorite foods. Shinichi felt himself drooling as each platter was uncovered to reveal fresh, steaming dishes. Kaito nudged his side.

“Eat to your heart’s content, but remember there’s still dessert.”

With his cheeks full, Shinichi nodded.

It took another twenty minutes for everyone to finish their main entrees and that’s when Kaito decided to summon the cake. It was a three tier cake and was big enough that it had to be rolled in on a cart.

“Kaito that’s huge! How are we supposed to finish that?!”

Kaito shrugged, “I don’t mind leftovers.”

Akako put a single candle on the top tier and lit it with a snap of her fingers. Everyone watched and clapped as Shinichi blew out the flame. Shinichi began to slice the cake and handed out slices to everyone before finally serving himself.

Kaito closely watched as Shinichi took his first bite. “Is it to your liking?”

Shinichi chewed happily and nodded, “I like the hints of cinnamon. Not too sweet yet not too bitter. It’s perfect.”

“Phew,” Kaito swiped at the imaginary sweat on his brow, “I’m glad the kitchen pulled off the recipe without a hitch.”

“Recipe?”

“Yeah it was from mom.”

Shinichi’s eyes widened, “Mama?”

Kaito smiled as he fed Shinichi another forkful of cake, “She sends her regards by the way. She’s scouting out a new ally for us in the north. Mom was about to fly back here to celebrate with us, but I told her not to.”

“Can you tell Mama I said thank you?”

“Of course.”

Now that all of the eating was out of the way, Shinichi began to feel tired. He felt his eyes drooping and Kaito took notice.

“Oh come on Shinichi, don’t tell me you’re already tired! We’re about to start the finale.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but what’s the finale?”

Kaito’s smirk was razor sharp, “A drinking competition of course. It’s a staple at every demon party.” He pointed at Saguru dramatically, “Alright Hakuba, I challenge you to a drinking contest. This time I’m going to win for sure!”

Saguru looked haughty, “That’s what you’ve said the past two hundred times, but you haven’t beaten me once yet.”

Akako shook her head, “This is going to be embarrassing. I’m out of here.” She waved and left the hall.

Kaito rolled up his sleeves and the servants came in with pitchers of beer and glasses of wine. “Oh we’ll see about that.” He grabbed one of the pitchers and began to chug. Saguru did the same and the two finished at the same time. Kaito wiped the excess of his lip and let out a huge content sigh.

“One down, twenty to go.”

Saguru smirked, already starting his second pitcher, “You’ll stop at five like you always do.”

Aoko groaned at her husband’s tenacity, “You two...please drink in moderation. You’ll set a bad example for the queen...”

Speaking of Shinichi, he set down his fourth pitcher of beer and burped. He covered his mouth and blushed.

“S-sorry, excuse me.”

* * *

 

The celebration ended after Shinichi’s twentieth pitcher of beer. Kaito looked at his queen with worry. Shinichi was absolutely red-faced and he was slurring every other word. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to hold a drinking contest.

“O-one mo’!” Shinichi yelled out.

“I don’t think so dear. I believe you’ve had enough,” Kaito looked at the general who was also looking pretty shit-faced, “him too. Aoko take care of your husband.”

“I know!” Aoko lifted Saguru over her shoulder, “Ugh, he’s gained weight. See you all tomorrow. I’m sure we’re going to have two hungover babies.”

Kaito waved goodbye to Aoko and quickly moved away the pitcher that Shinichi was reaching towards, “No way. You’ve had enough dear.” Shinichi pouted at him, but it had no effect this time. Kaito carried his queen bridal style and started walking towards the exit, where he was stopped by a slightly inebriated Ran.

“A-and just where do you think you're going with One?”

“To our room?” Shinichi’s head began to loll around as the queen fell asleep in his arms. Kaito was about to coo at how cute Shinichi was when Ran stomped her feet.

“Are you going to do naughty stuff to One?! I know you two do that stuff.” Sera came up from behind Ran and covered her mouth.

“Sorry King, but she gets mouthy when drunk.” Ran broke out of Sera’s grip and stalked forward, finger pointing viciously at Kaito.

“I’ll kill you if you dare—”

“Well it’s nice to know your real opinion of me.” Kaito glowered at Ran, “But no, I won’t be taking advantage of Shinichi at this moment. He’s too out of it to give me proper consent. So instead, I’m going to change him and tuck him into bed. Probably get some medicine for his hangover as well.” He walked past Ran and Sera and used his foot to slam the banquet hall doors shut behind him.

Sera gave Ran a dirty look, “Great, now he’s going to think we’re assholes.”

* * *

The next morning, Shinichi hid his head under a pillow and cried out in agony. Kaito was beside him rubbing his back.

“This is why you should moderate yourself.”

Shinichi whimpered under the pillow.

“I told you to stop at pitchers five and ten. You didn’t listen.”

Shinichi groaned and used his tail to slap Kaito on the wrist. Kaito chuckled at the childness and continued to pat Shinichi.

“I hope you had a happy birthday.”

Shinichi’s tail wrapped around Kaito’s wrist. Kaito took it as a silent thanks.

There was a knock on the door. The loud sound made Shinichi groan on the bed. Sighing, Kaito stood up, making sure not to shake the bed as much as he could. He went over and answered the door, glaring at the visitor.

“Great. What do you want?”

Ran glared back at the king. Behind her was Sera, looking slightly uneasy.

“Alright Ran, didn’t you have something to say to the king?”

Ran sneered and stepped closer to Kaito to sniff him. She then poked her head in the room for another sniff.

“Hey, give me my personal space back. And Shinichi’s over there...suffering.”

“It’s to be expected,” Ran said as she crossed her arms, “he drank more than everyone.”

“Yeah, he did,” Kaito sighed dreamily. He was so proud of Shinichi.

“Hmph, I guess you’re not that terrible then. Make sure Shinichi drinks a lot of water and gets plenty of rest.” Ran turned around and walked away. Sera shrugged at the king.

“I guess that’s as close to approval as you’re going to get Your Highness,” Sera said. She saluted before following Ran.

Kaito watched as they disappeared down the hallway, “I...don’t have a clue what just happened.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who just tied in Otaku verse and Fanny Pack Shinichi into Demon AU canon B)
> 
> Just curious, how many of you are actually interested in Akako and Hakuba's backstory? If there's enough interest, the next two chapters will be Interludes to explain why they're vassals. If not, I guess they'll just be Discord exclusives/anyone who cares. 
> 
> See you all next time~


	18. To New Lands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So only 3 people requested the Akako and Saguru backstory so I decided to not fully write out the chapter. Instead, you can just DM me on Discord if you want the outline doc.
> 
> Funnily enough, there are some facts in this chapter that have to do with Akako's backstory. 
> 
> Anyways, welcome to more Demon AU plot.

“Got your toothbrush?”

“Yes.”

“Spare clothes?”

“Yes.” 

“Lube?”

Shinichi glared at the king, who was holding back a laugh. He threw the nearest object within his grasp, which was his toothbrush. Kaito easily caught it and tossed it back to Shinichi. 

“Just kidding~I already packed it with my stuff.”

“We’re not having sex at an international conference Kaito.”

“I can be very convincing when I have to be my dear.” 

Shinichi was unfortunately aware of that.

The royals were currently placing the finishing touches on their packing. Kaito was currently sitting on his suitcase while Shinichi was meticulously folding all of his clothes so he could fit it all. He slammed the lid closed and huffed. It was bulging…

“Are you sure you need five extra outfits dear?” Kaito asked, holding back a snicker. 

“Yes. You never know when the occasion will arise. I might spoil a shirt during a meal or get scuffed on by...something.” 

“Your mind is too overactive,” Kaito hopped off of his suitcase, “You don’t have to worry about every scenario. Stop stressing about it.” Kaito had to admit that the stress lines adorning Shinichi’s forehead were cute, but absolutely unnecessary.

“Better safe than sorry.” Shinichi said as he began to drag his luggage to the entrance of their room. Kaito rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, causing the two luggages to disappear in a puff of smoke.

“Now your hands are free!” Kaito quickly swiped Shinichi’s hand to intertwine their fingers, “Let’s go darling, the carriage awaits.”

* * *

 

Kaito and Shinichi were the last two to arrive at the front of the castle. Saguru had an annoyed look as the two approached the group.

“You’re late.” 

Kaito shrugged, “Shinichi was busy overpacking.” Shinichi huffed and elbowed Kaito, the king just laughing it off as Shinichi walked towards Ran and Sera.

“Thanks for coming you two.” Ran and Sera smiled at the queen.

“We should be thanking you. We would’ve gone stir crazy in that stupid room.” said Sera. Ran giggled next to her lover and brought Shinichi into a hug. 

“I’m so happy to travel with you. The kingdom of Inanna is close to Cheld. We can return home together!”

“Ran…” Shinichi gave Ran a small smile, “We talked about this...multiple times.”

“Ah yes, but it was worth a shot.”

Shinichi convinced Kaito to bring along Ran and Sera after discovering that the conference they were attending was close to Cheld. Kaito reluctantly agreed after Shinichi begged for an entire night. The two worked it out with Ran and Sera and decided to drop the two females off at Cheld before returning home. Ran was opposed at first, but realized that the king and queen could not be swayed. 

“I wonder if Three is home…” Ran said as they watched the carriages being loaded. 

Shinichi blinked, “Three?”

Ran looked slightly uneasy and nervously laughed, “He’s…something.”

“Alright, time to board!” Kaito grabbed Shinichi’s hand and dragged him to the front carriage, “You two are in the second one.”

Ran was surprised as Kaito quickly slammed the door to the carriage,“Hey! I wanted to sit with—! That stupid king.”

Sera patted her partner’s back to console her.

* * *

 

“Why couldn’t Akako just teleport us there?” asked Shinichi about an hour into the trip.

“My dear, we have to arrive in style.” Kaito gestured to the carriage, “It’s to—”

“‘Show off’ correct?” Shinichi gave the king a deadpan look, “This form of travel is too showy.”

“You just don’t like attention.”

“True.” Shinichi propped his cheek on his hand as he stared out the window, “I sort of wanted to walk there...like when we first met each other. Walking through the woods and the desert was nice.”

“Sorry Shinichi, the distance between us and Inanna is too far for a walk. And there’s also the matter of our luggage.” Kaito shot Shinichi a teasing grin, “Unless you’re offering to carry all of the luggage. How sweet of you.”

Shinichi snorted and returned his attention to the window, “No thanks.”

“Are you nervous though? This is technically your first appearance as the queen in a conference held abroad.”

Shinichi sighed, “I’m...a little nervous.” Kaito saw Shinichi’s free hand tightly grasping at his thigh. Kaito took the hand and held it to his lips.

“I promise I’ll be there for you.” 

“Thank you Kaito.” Shinichi said with a small blush.

A loud cough interrupted their precious moment.

“Please keep public displays of affection to a minimum while I’m forced to stay in this box with you two.” Saguru said as he crossed his arms. Shinichi looked away out of embarrassment while Kaito gave him a withering glare.

“Way to kill our moment Hakuba. I wish Akako got our carriage instead.”

“You have no idea…” muttered Saguru, “I would trade in an instant.”

“How did you two decide your placement?” asked Shinichi. The general rolled his eyes.

“A simple game of Rock Paper Scissors. You should’ve seen the look on her face when she realized that she was stuck with the beast tamer’s carriage. I can imagine the look on her face now,” Saguru snorted, “a permanent frown and a napkin over her nose.”

Kaito let out a loud laugh and Shinichi sighed. 

“Are beast tamers pungent or something? I don’t think Sera or Ran smelled bad…”

Saguru saw the opportunity for a lesson and straightened his back, “You saw the wolf ears on their heads right?” Shinichi nodded. “Beast tamers are demons that have the blood of beasts in them. The ears on their head reflect their greatest affinity.” 

Shinichi looked awestruck, “So Sera tames hellhounds? Or…?”

Saguru shrugged, “So far, we’ve only been acquainted with her wyverns.” He was too familiar with them...Saguru quickly shooed the bad thoughts away.

Shinichi hummed as he thought about his friends back at the beast sanctuary, “Maybe I should ask her to take care of the hellhounds.” 

A different thought struck Kaito and the king smirked, “So I guess that means Sera’s  _ really _ into beasts if Ran has the ears too. I wonder what else Sera put into Ran.”

“‘Put into?’”

“Like when they first met in stasis,” Kaito made a weird hand gesture, “Did Sera already know what she wanted Ran to be? Or was everything a surprise? When I touched you, everything about you was...perfect, but I didn’t think beforehand. How customized is Ran? Could you have been even more perfect than you are now?” Many questions ran through Kaito's head.

Shinichi’s face turned scarlet red at Kaito’s small tangent. “Y-you think I’m perfect?”

Kaito softly smiled and brought Shinichi into his arms, “Of course I do love. I’ll say it as many times as you want until you believe me.” Kaito kissed Shinichi’s cheek and Shinichi laid his head on Kaito’s chest to listen to the king’s heartbeat.

Saguru let out a loud, exaggerated groan that broke the mood once again, “For the love of all that’s unholy, please stop flirting in front of me.” 

Kaito tightened his hold over Shinichi’s hips, “Never.”

* * *

 

Shinichi felt gentle fingers comb through his hair. A soft voice whispered in his ear, “Wake up darling, we’re here.”

Shinichi groaned and buried himself deeper into the source of warmth he was situated on. He heard a chuckle and the fingers rubbed at the base of his horns. Shinichi let out a content sigh.

“Shinichi, as adorable as you are, you really must get up. The carriage just passed the castle gates and they’ll be opening our door at any moment.”

The queen huffed and sat up. He wiped the sleepiness from his eyes and received a pat on his shoulder from Kaito.

“Glad to see you awake. How was your nap?”

“Not long enough,” mumbled Shinichi, “I want another one.”

“We are allowed the rest of the day to ourselves after the procession.” said Saguru, “You can rest then.”

Shinichi stretched his arms out and then fixed the collar of his uniform. He turned to Kaito, “How do I look?”

“Beautiful.”

“...shut up. I meant, do I look presentable?”

Kaito gave the queen a onceover. The king patted down some hair that was sticking up on the side before giving Shinichi a thumbs up.

“Thank you.”

The carriage finally came to a halt and Shinichi heard loud trumpets blaring. He felt Kaito squeeze his hand.

“Ready for our grand entrance?”

Shinichi took a deep breath, “Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

The carriage door slowly opened and light poured in from the outside. Kaito stepped out first and offered a hand to Shinichi. After another deep breath, Shinichi took the king’s hand and stepped outside. Shinichi squinted as his eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. 

As Shinichi finally took in the view in front of him, a loud voice boomed from the skies.

“Presenting King Kaito and Queen Shinichi from the Kuroba Kingdom.”

The trumpets blared once more and silver knights lining the edge of the courtyard raised their swords out of respect. Kaito tugged on Shinichi’s hand and Shinichi followed Kaito through the long trail that led up to the castle gates.

“They do this for every king and queen. Pretty showy right?” whispered Kaito as they walked towards the steps to the castle. Shinichi looked behind them to see the knights lowering their swords, probably to prepare for another announcement.

“Is every king a showoff like you?”

Kaito snickered, “There's no one comparable to me. I’m the best.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes as the gates opened to allow them in. Shinichi looked back to see another set of royals walking down the courtyard.

“Where are Akako and the others?”

“They have to take the back entrance. They’re fine don’t worry.”

Shinichi was about to say something else, but was cut off when a boisterous voice spoke up in front of them.

“Welcome to Inanna Castle. It’s an honor to have you both here.” 

The person who Shinichi assumed was the king of the castle shook hands with Kaito. Kaito gave the king a terse nod, something Shinichi has never seen Kaito do before. The Inannan king gave Kaito a small smile before offering a hand to Shinichi. Shinichi took it and looked up at the king’s golden eyes. They were quite familiar…

“Oh! We met at the gala. I thought you were just a demon lord Lord Shara.”

Shara chuckled, “Sorry for the confusion Queen Shinichi. Compared to your status as Queen, I’m but a mere lord.”

“You should be proud of your title, no matter how small your country is.”

Lord Shara blinked before letting out a small, breathy laugh. “Thank you Queen Shinichi, I’ll keep that in mind. “ he kissed the back of Shinichi’s hand and then released it, “If you’ll excuse me, I have other dignitaries to attend to. I hope to see you during the delegations.” Shara walked off to welcome his other guests. Shinichi watched him go and was suddenly pulled into Kaito’s arms.

“H-hey!” Shinichi pushed back until he heard a growl escape from the king. Shinichi stilled, “...Kaito?”

Kaito didn’t respond. He took Shinichi’s hand and dragged him to a hallway that the servants indicated led to the guest sleeping chambers.

“Kaito? Kaito, what’s wrong?”

Kaito found their assigned room and practically slammed the door open and closed it behind them. He picked Shinichi up and dropped him on the grand four poster bed before straddling the queen.

“Kaito! What are you—?”

A few seconds of tense silence passed before Kaito said, “He was eying you like a piece of meat.” Shinichi saw Kaito was almost grinding his teeth as the king spat out, “Have you met him before?”

“We became acquainted at the gala to celebrate Azeria’s annexation.” Shinichi found Kaito’s hand to hold it. Kaito’s hand was balled into a fist, his nails almost piercing the palm. 

“Don’t trust him Shinichi...he’s a deceitful bastard.” Kaito’s eyes narrowed, “He probably wants your favor for some underhanded deal.”

“Kaito, this is only our second time meeting, we’re not even friends.”

Kaito let out a strained sigh before removing himself off of Shinichi’s hips. He propped himself up against the headboard and Shinichi quickly went into Kaito’s arms.

“Sorry Shinichi...but his eyes...I can tell he’s untrustworthy.” Shinichi cupped Kaito's cheek and tried to calm down his king. 

“It’s alright Kaito. I know you’re just concerned. I’ll be careful.” Kaito’s hand rested on Shinichi’s lower back.

“Good. I’ll tell Hakuba and Akako to keep an eye out." Kaito let out a groan, "Damn, now I regret accepting this invitation. I should’ve just said I was uninterested.”

Shinichi gave him a playful tap on the shoulder, “It’s for the good of the kingdom. And you were the one who wanted to show off.”

Kaito rolled his eyes and let out a sigh, “Yeah I know. Karma.” Kaito’s hands trailed up Shinichi’s back until he found the area where Shinichi’s back turned into wings, “I need a distraction. Would you like to have some fun before the event?” Kaito pressed down at the joint and Shinichi let out a small squeak.

“Kai!”   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is (obviously) NSFW. It probably won't be as long as the usual NSFW scenes, but it'll be something.


	19. The Quickie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is NSFW! Feel free to skip onto the next chapter if you'd like. 
> 
> If you're staying, hope you enjoy another chapter of Demon AU!

“Kai!”

Shinichi felt Kaito’s hand rub right where skin became wing and let out a gasp. Kaito massaged the joint before moving downwards to grope his queen.

“Come on Shinichi, it’ll be a quickie. I promise~” Kaito said as he smiled against Shinichi’s neck. His hands rested at Shinichi’s hips, thumbs kneading at the queen’s sensitive sides. Shinichi bit back a moan, still frowning up at the haughty king. Kaito knew he was close to convincing Shinichi and put on a playful pout.

“Oh please my dear queen? Won’t you indulge me just this once?”

Shinichi gave him a deadpan stare, “I’ve indulged you plenty, you spoiled king. Besides, we’re not even in our bedroom! Do you really want to do this in some stranger’s castle?”

“It wouldn’t be our first time,” pointed out Kaito. His fingers were trailing towards the waistband of Shinichi’s pants. Kaito lightly tugged at it, “Come on, I even packed the lube.” 

Shinichi rolled his eyes while Kaito pouted at him. After a minute, Shinichi let out a small sigh of defeat. “Fine. A quickie.”

Kaito didn’t wait any further. As he removed Shinichi’s pants, Kaito gave Shinichi a quick kiss on the cheek before giving the queen an open mouthed kiss. Shinichi let out a small surprised sound, allowing Kaito’s tongue to slip in and taste his lover. Kaito licked around Shinichi’s mouth and then separated with a slick pop. Shinichi was left gasping for air, still surprised by how forward Kaito was.

“Wha...what was that?”

“The beginning of our quickie,” Kaito said as he unfastened the clasps in Shinichi’s uniform. With that out of the way, Kaito looked down at his now naked queen and licked his lips, “Gorgeous.” He began by sucking marks onto Shinichi’s neck, making the queen let out small moans. 

“Kaito, not where anyone can see them,” Shinichi mumbled. It only made Kaito remember the damned host king. Kaito let out a small growl as he recalled how those disgusting golden eyes roamed over  _ his _ queen. Kaito would’ve slapped the bastard if not for his royal status. 

Shinichi felt Kaito tense and placed a hand over the king’s hand, “Kaito? Are you okay?”

Kaito let out a frustrated huff. He shouldn’t be thinking of someone else when he was moments away from making love to his queen. Kaito kissed Shinichi’s pulse point, “Sorry dear, I got distracted. It won’t happen again.”

Shinichi gave him a little pout, making Kaito chuckle. He settled between Shinichi’s legs and snapped his fingers to make the bottle of lube appear. Shinichi raised an eyebrow at Kaito. “Seriously?”

“What? You thought I was lying?” Kaito poured some onto his hand and approached Shinichi’s entrance. “I’m always prepared.” After allowing the lube to warm in his hands, Kaito prodded at Shinichi’s entrance for a bit before entering. Shinichi let out a hiss of discomfort as he felt Kaito’s finger go inside. No matter how many times they did this, this was always the most uncomfortable part. Kaito rubbed Shinichi’s thigh to distract the queen from the pain.

“Loosen up a bit love, it’s a little hard to stretch you if you don’t relax.”

Shinichi groaned as he attempted to relax his muscles. Kaito planted kisses along Shinichi’s legs as he patiently waited for Shinichi. Eventually, there was enough room for Kaito to scissor his fingers and he stretched his lover. Small gasps left Shinichi’s mouth as his tail went to seek out Kaito’s. Kaito quickly entwined their tails together.

“I’m here my dear queen. Almost done.”

Shinichi let out a moan as he felt one of Kaito’s fingers brush against his pleasure spot, “A-ah, I’m ready.”

“Are you sure?” Just because this was a quickie doesn’t mean that Kaito would skimp on the preparation stage. He wanted this to be enjoyable for the both of them.

Shinichi nodded, his eyes hazy with lust. The queen linked his legs behind Kaito’s back to pull him closer. “Hurry up.”

Kaito grinned as he removed his fingers from Shinichi and kissed his lover once more. He quickly lubed himself up and then lined himself up at Shinichi’s entrance. Slowly, Kaito pushed himself inside of Shinichi, watching the queen’s face for any signs of discomfort. 

Shinichi bit his lip as he clenched around the new intrusion. He let out a breathy gasp as Kaito bottomed out. To fully accommodate the king, Shinichi canted his hips and shifted to allow Kaito more room. Shinichi panted as he got used to Kaito, who was sucking more marks onto Shinichi’s chest.

“You can move now.” Shinichi said after a few minutes. He felt Kaito smirk against his throat.

“As you wish my lovely queen.” Shinichi looped his arms around Kaito’s neck as Kaito rested his hands over Shinichi’s hips. Kaito gently removed himself Shinichi and slowly pushed himself back in. Shinichi let out a small cry and Kaito kissed his cheek. 

Kaito continued to slowly thrust into Shinichi. Shinichi kept his cries low and muffled. It wasn’t until Kaito striked his prostate that Shinichi let out a yell.

“Ah! There! More Kaito!!”

Kaito smirked, “Of course I know where is it. But remember where we are~ do you want strangers to hear us?”

Shinichi’s blush went all the way down to his shoulders. “Y-you!”

Kaito chuckled as he continued to thrust at Shinichi’s prostate. To silence himself, Shinichi bit Kaito’s shoulder. Kaito’s shoulder became littered with bite marks as Shinichi chose new places to bite Kaito each time he let out a cry. 

As Kaito felt his limit approach, he began to pump Shinichi’s leaking member. Shinichi yelped at the sudden sensation and clawed at Kaito’s back.

“Ka-Kaito!”

“I’m close, and I can see that you are too. Just a moment.”

Kaito slammed his hips into Shinichi one more time and Shinichi screamed as he came over his stomach. Kaito licked the cum off his queen’s stomach as he watched Shinichi drool on the sheets. A few thrusts later, Kaito groaned as he came inside Shinichi. The queen moaned as he felt Kaito’s warm cum fill him. He felt his eyes drift to a close as strong arms gathered him into a familiar chest.

“Sleepy? You can rest for now. I’ll wake you up before dinner.”

Shinichi snuggled closer to the warmth and felt his king’s grand wings blanket him.

* * *

 

“KAITO ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”

Kaito smirked in the background, “What’s wrong darling?”

Shinichi pointed at the myriad of marks across his upper body. There were various shades of reds and even purple all over Shinichi’s shoulders and upper chest. 

“What happens if someone sees?”

Kaito’s eyes narrowed, “You don’t have to worry about that. Your dinner uniform has a high collar. I made sure that all the marks would be covered.”

Shinichi snorted, “Yeah sure you did.”

“Aw Shinichi, I just wanted us to match~” Kaito unbuttoned his shirt and gestured to his upper torso. He had bite marks and red scratches on his shoulders.

Shinichi blushed as he remembered that he gave all of those to Kaito. “O-oh.”

Kaito stepped over to Shinichi to hug him, “Don’t worry, I’ll treasure each one.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes, “...just heal them with magic.” 

“No way. I like them.” Kaito playfully sighed, “Each one is like a sign of possession...so cute.”

Shinichi looked mortified, “Don’t say it like that. You sound like a creep.”

“Just telling the truth.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we return to our regularly scheduled plot.
> 
> See you all next time <3


	20. Another Dinner Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Chapter 20~ What a long run! I hope you guys aren't getting bored of their adventure :')
> 
> If you read the last chapter, a beginning section of the chap is repeated to give those who didn't read last chap some context. 
> 
> This took a while because I've been sucked into SaguShin. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. 
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

Kaito and Shinichi were resting in their room, tired from their previous activities. Shinichi was sleeping with his head against Kaito’s chest, using the king’s heartbeat as a lullaby. Kaito looked down fondly at his queen and wiped the sliver of drool that passed through Shinichi’s lips.

Their moment of peace was interrupted by three knocks on their door.

“It’s Hakuba. There’s thirty minutes until the banquet. Are you both ready?”

Kaito down at his wrinkled uniform and at Shinichi’s disheveled self. They were definitely not ready.

“Uh, give us five minutes.” He shook Shinichi, slowly rousing the queen from his sleep, “Wake up Shinichi, we have to start preparing for the banquet.”

Shinichi grumbled and rubbed his face against his spot on Kaito’s chest. He eventually sat up and pouted, “This is the second time today you’ve woken me up from a good nap.”

“Both times were for very good reasons. Now, let’s get ready. The uniforms for tonight are already in our dressing room.”

With a heavy sigh, Shinichi got off the bed. The queen groaned when he felt a sharp pain in his lower back. That was going to be sore in the morning. Shinichi rubbed his back before entering the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face to wake himself up. As Shinichi walked towards the closet, his eye caught something red in the mirror.

“KAITO ARE YOU SERIOUS?!”  
  
Kaito smirked in the background, “What’s wrong darling?”   
  
Shinichi pointed at the myriad of marks across his upper body. There were various shades of reds and even purple all over Shinichi’s shoulders and upper chest.   
  
“What happens if someone sees?”   
  
Kaito’s eyes narrowed, “You don’t have to worry about that. Your dinner uniform has a high collar. I made sure that all the marks would be covered.”   
  
Shinichi snorted, “Yeah sure you did.”   
  
“Aw Shinichi, I just wanted us to match~” Kaito unbuttoned his shirt and gestured to his upper torso. He had bite marks and red scratches on his shoulders.   
  
Shinichi blushed as he remembered that he gave all of those to Kaito. “O-oh.”   
  
Kaito stepped over to Shinichi to hug him, “Don’t worry, I’ll treasure each one.”   
  
Shinichi rolled his eyes, “...Just heal them with magic.”   
  
“No way. I like them.” Kaito playfully sighed, “Each one is like a sign of possession...so cute.”   
  
Shinichi looked mortified, “Don’t say it like that. You sound like a creep.”   
  
“Just telling the truth.”

Letting out a groan, Shinichi continued to the dressing area where Kaito already had their evening uniforms out. As the king promised, both uniforms had high collars. Shinichi let out a sigh of relief before putting on the uniform. Kaito quickly dressed himself and then the two checked themselves over.

Shinichi looked into the mirror once again, “It’s hidden right?” He turned his neck, trying to spot any trace of red.

Watching Shinichi fret in front of the mirror was humorous, but they really had to get moving. “You’re fine! It’s not like anyone’s going to get that close to your neck anyway.” If they got that close to Shinichi, then they’d have to deal with Kaito.

Kaito led his queen to the entrance of their room, where an irate general had apparently let himself in. Saguru had his trademark frown on and he was tapping his foot impatiently. Saguru gave the royal couple a once over before rolling his eyes, “I don’t want to know what happened in the last hour. Let’s just get going.”

Kaito snorted and Shinichi just looked confused. Saguru opened the door for them and they all exited to the hallway. There, Akako, Ran, and Sera were waiting. All three females were dressed in formal wear. Ran blushed as she saw Shinichi come out.

“A-Again?!” Shinichi turned to her with a confused look while the others all gave Kaito annoyed stares. Feeling embarrassed, Ran just shook her head, “N-never mind! We can talk about it later.”

Sera just wiggled her eyebrows at Shinichi, causing the queen to sputter and hide his face.

“Yes, let's go. We don’t want to be late.” Shinichi began to rush towards the great hallway, leaving the king and his friends behind.

* * *

“Ah, excellent choice Queen Shinichi,” said the goblin butler, “You are blessed to have chosen the seat right next to King Shara.”

“Eh?” Shinichi looked at the small golden ball in his hand. For some reason, King Shara thought it would be a good idea to randomize the seating for tonight’s banquet. Something about how everyone should get along.

Kaito’s eye twitched as he looked scornfully at the now cowering butler. “Wait wait wait.” Kaito snatched the ball from Shinichi’s hand, “I’ll go in his place. Shinichi can sit elsewhere.”

“But King Kaito, this is King Shara’s orders. I cannot allow you to break the rules—”

“Fine then, I’ll sit next to Shinichi.” Without listening to another word, Kaito dragged Shinichi away from the raffle area. He turned to Saguru and Akako who already received their seating placements. “So, where are you two?”

They held up red colored balls, causing Kaito to frown.

Saguru shrugged, “We’re quite far from your table. We’ll still keep a close eye.”

“Good.” Kaito began to lead Shinichi to their designated table, but not before receiving a pinch from the queen. “H-hey! What was that for?”

“You were being rude. That butler was just trying to do his job.” Shinichi said with a pout.

“There was no way I letting you sit alone at that table with that creep. We’ll just pretend I drew a golden ball too.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes, “Overprotective idiot.”

Kaito gave his queen a quick kiss on the cheek, “All yours love.”

Shinichi fought off his blush as the two approached the table where King Shara was waiting. The foreign king smiled amicably and patted the seat next to him.

“What an honor to sit next to the royals of the Kuroba kingdom. Come, come. Have a seat, the food will be out in a moment.”

Shinichi heard Kaito snort behind him and was moments away from elbowing the king. He didn’t have enough time as King Shara stood up and pulled put the chair next to him.

“Apologies, that was rude of me. I should’ve pulled it out earlier,” Shara gestured to Shinichi, “Please get seated Queen Shinichi. Dinner is starting shortly.”

Shinichi nodded and reluctantly sat to the right of the host king while Kaito huffed and took the seat next to Shinichi. A few others came to sit at the round table and became engrossed with talking between themselves. While Shara was talking to the person on his left, Kaito leaned over to whisper in Shinichi’s ear.

“I cannot believe this.”

Shinichi swatted his king’s ear before hissing, “It’ll be fine. It’s just a short dinner.” Kaito grumbled to himself and then grabbed Shinichi’s chair to drag it closer to him. The small screech was covered by an over exaggerated cough from Kaito. Shinichi groaned. He really hoped no one heard that.

The tinkling of a bell rang out through the room and two rows of servants holding silver trays entered the dining hall. A set of servants approached each table and laid the tray in front of the guests. Shinichi’s table was one of the last served. Shinichi watched as the lid was lifted to reveal his dinner: a pile of...something. It was brown and veiny, something that should never be combined in a dish.

Shinichi nudged Kaito to whisper, “...What is this? Is it safe?”

“Just eat the stuff that’s familiar...and safe looking.” Kaito used his fork to poke at a mound of white fluff. Ah, it was potatoes. “Just eat the potatoes.”

Shinichi felt his stomach drop at the sight of the food. He wished to return home to where his trusted kitchen staff was waiting. After a small sigh, Shinichi picked up his fork and stab at the dark, circular piece of meat. The sauce around the meat made it slippery and caused the fork to miss and stab the plate. Shinichi could hear a chuckle from his right and snorted. Of course Kaito was watching him.

Shinichi kicked Kaito’s ankle and tried to stab at the piece of meat once again. This time, Shinichi used a bit more force and caused the meat to bounce off of his plate. It flew to the left and landed with a splat against the cheek of a certain host king. Shinichi’s entire body went stiff as King Shara picked up a napkin to wipe his face.

“Oh dear, where did that come from?” The king said nonchalantly to the now silent table.

Shinichi felt cold sweat run down his back as Shara turned to him with small smile. The calm smiled unnerved Shinichi, causing him to clam up and avert his gaze back to his plate. The silence ended when Shinichi felt a light pat on his shoulder. He looked up to see Shara chuckling amicably, making everyone else on the table laugh awkwardly with him.

“It’s fine Queen Shinichi, there’s nothing to worry about. I can see the embarrassment bleeding from your neck.” He rubbed Shinichi’s back once again for assurance before returning to his own meal. Shinichi blanched about the neck comment before letting out a sigh of relief. He decided to pic at the so-called potatoes. At least that wouldn’t fling everywhere.

“Apologies King Shara. I didn’t mean to fling um...what is this?”

The king let out a loud bellow, startling half the room, “Ah, have you never had the loins of a behemoth before? I hunted all of these myself.”

Shinichi’s face turned white and he decided to only eat the potatoes.

Meanwhile, Kaito was fuming in his seat. He was close to bending his cutlery and smashing it against the host king. Touching Shinichi so many times...he ought to back out of this treaty. Kaito knew it would be a bad idea to bring Shinichi out of the castle, but damned diplomacy got the better of him.

Kaito gritted his teeth before secretly wrapping his tail around Shinichi’s. Shinichi shot him a confused look, but Kaito didn’t return it. Instead, the king focused on his food and not how he wanted to strangle the person to the queen’s left.

* * *

 After the hectic dinner, the kings and queens separated to mingle and network with each other. Shinichi was less than pleased. He hated socializing with strangers.

“All those women talk about are fashion and their castle gossip.” Shinichi crossed his arms and pouted, “I refuse.”

Kaito sighed, “Shinichi, this is all for the sake of improving foreign relations. Won’t you at least try to make friends with them?”

The queen’s gaze wandered to the female demons flitting around in the assigned study. They were beginning to braid each other’s hair...Shinichi shuddered.

“If they attempt to put makeup on my face, I’m leaving.”

The look on Shinichi’s face made Kaito chuckle. He gave his queen a quick peck on the cheek before waving, “I’ll see you in an hour darling. Hakuba will be nearby.” Kaito blew one last kiss and waved before spreading his wings out to join the rest of the demon kings in another wing of the castle.

Shinichi took another look into the room where the queens pulled out a closet full of dresses. Yeah, nope, Shinichi was definitely not going in there. He looked both ways before sneaking into a nearby hallway. Hopefully there would be a servant nearby that could give him directions to his room.

“Saguru, I’m going back to my room. Don’t tell Kaito.” Shinichi was met with silence. Strange. The general would usually be protesting his decision, but...whatever.

Shinichi made his way down the hallway and looked for a servant to ask for directions. The hallway was deserted, causing Shinichi to slightly worry. A castle as big as this should at least have some sentries posted at the pillars, but there was no one in sight. It was also nighttime, a time when there should be higher security. Shinichi began to walk faster, constantly looking over his shoulder.

Something didn’t feel right. Shinichi felt a chill run down his spine. He hurried down the hallway and ended up in a garden of hanging vines. Although it was beautiful, Shinichi had no time to admire. He was focused on the shadow coming from between the vines.

“Hello? Excuse me, do you know the way to the guest rooms?”

From the vineyards, a cloaked figure emerged. They parted the vines with scaly, disfigured hands. Shinichi raised an eyebrow as the person stalked closer.

“Um, did you hear me? I can repeat it if you want—”

They growled. “Shut it.” Shinichi’s wrist was abruptly grabbed and twisted, causing the queen to yelp in pain, “Just come quietly and I won’t hurt you anymore.”

Shinichi’s eyes narrowed as he tried to look at the other person’s face, “I’ll give you ten seconds to unhand me before I hurt you back. I don’t wish to start a ruckus on foreign soil.”

“A _ruckus_? What kind of demon even uses that word?” They tugged on Shinichi’s wrist, inciting a glare from the queen. Shinichi patted his hip, hoping to reach a knife from his fanny pack…

Oh right, this was a new uniform. His fanny pack was probably on the floor of his room.

“Ten seconds.” With that said, Shinichi started a fire in his hand, causing his assailant to release him and step back. They pulled out a dagger and held it up to Shinichi.

“Quit the magic and come quietly or else.”

“Your threat doesn’t really have any bite to it.” Shinichi caused the fire in his hand to grow, “I think you should be the one quitting. Turn yourself in.”

The sounds of leaves rustling came from behind Shinichi. The queen looked back to see two more hooded figures approaching. Great, the kidnapper had friends.

Shinichi threw a fireball at the ground before sidestepping away and running towards the hallway he came through. He didn’t run far; a hand grabbed at his wing and pulled him back.

“Release me!” Shinichi kicked at them and missed. The other kidnapper grabbed his hand and another tackled him to the ground. Shinichi was slightly dazed after his head hit the stone pavement. He hurriedly tried to focus his eyes and see what was happening.

“Damn, didn’t think he’d know magic. That wasn’t in our intel.”

“They don’t go outside period. We don’t know anything about them.”

“Whatever. Just tie him up and slap a couple of sealing runes on him.”

Shinichi struggled against his captors’ hands, “Let me go! Help!”

One of the assailants snorted as he began to draw a sealing rune on Shinichi’s forehead, “Heh, so much for a weapon.”

Shinichi felt his heart skip a beat, “What did you just say?”

The kidnappers ignored him and pulled out some rope, “Alright, shut up princess.”

The sound of a sword being unsheathed made the assailants jolt up.

“What have you done to my queen?” The sound of the general’s voice instantly calmed Shinichi down. Now that the kidnappers were paying attention to Saguru, Shinichi sat up and punched one of his captors.

Shinichi stood up and quickly ran to Saguru’s side. Saguru gave him a onceover before returning his attention to the three kidnappers. “For harming my queen, I will take all of your lives.” With his sword in both hands, Saguru leapt forward. The three kidnappers spread out, but one was too slow and fell to Saguru’s blade.

Seeing that their compatriot was down, the two nodded to each other and ran in opposite directions. Without hesitating, Shinichi followed one of them while Saguru went after the other.

Shinichi threw an icicle towards the floor, causing the cloaked figure to slip and slam their leg against a pillar. They groaned in pain as Shinichi grabbed the rope from their pocket and began to wrap them.

“How ironic. This was meant for me wasn’t it?”

The hood of the cloak slipped downwards to reveal a snarling lizard hybrid demon. He hissed at Shinichi, “Damn you.”

Shinichi just gave the lizard a deadpan look, “You started it.” He tied up the lizard’s snout and looked back to see Saguru cutting the tail off the other. “Saguru don’t kill them! We need to turn them over.”

He didn’t know if Saguru heard him until he watched the general stab his sword through the hand of the lizard man.

Shinichi dragged the lizard man by his cloak and threw him onto the pavement, just how they made him crash down only moments earlier. Shinichi rubbed his head and winced, he felt a bump forming below his right horn. How was he going to explain this to Kaito?

* * *

“How the hell did you think you were going to host an diplomatic meeting without even having proper security measures in place?” Kaito yelled at a cowering Shara, “My Queen could have been missing or worse, _killed_ , if not for my general.”

Shara gave the fuming Kaito a deep bow, “My apologies, most of the guards were stationed outside or near the king and queen gathering areas. We had no idea there was a breach.”

“I have half a mind to withdraw from this.” Kaito said as he glowered, “You’re lucky I have a stake in this damn treaty.” He slammed the table once for good measure before leaving King Shara’s room. He shut the double doors with more force than necessary and returned to the guest wing of the palace.

In his room, Shinichi was already sitting on the bed with Akako standing to his right. The mage was checking the queen’s head, poking to make sure that the wound was completely healed.

Shinichi’s face instantly brightened when Kaito made his way over to bed. Kaito took one of Shinichi’s hands and held it tightly.

“My queen, I’m sorry that this happened. I swear to never leave your side as long as we’re still here.”

Akako bowed her head, “I must also offer my apologies Queen Shinichi. I was attending to your friends when this ordeal occurred. I should have been by your side.”

Shinichi blushed out of embarrassment, “It’s fine you two! At least Saguru was there!”

Saguru, who was also in the room, stepped forward and kneeled, “If I were next to you, this never would have happened. There were others lying in ambush before I could be at your side.”

“You guys better not be feeling guilty.” The looks on their faces said it all. “They’ve been arrested and they’ll face a trial. They’ll probably be executed and no harm will ever come from them. Ever again.”

“Even so,” Kaito frowned darkly, “I have a sneaking suspicion about everything. Something doesn’t feel right about this place.”

Shinichi fervently nodded, “I...felt the same thing before they attacked. Something unnerved me.”

Akako’s hands began to glow, “I’ll keep additional wards around your room. I don’t trust this place anymore.”

Saguru nodded and finally stood up, “Would you like me to stand guard outside your room tonight?”

Kaito shook his head, “That won’t be necessary. You should get your own rest. I’ll be here all night with Shinichi.”

Akako and Saguru bowed and silently left the room. Kaito quickly changed his clothes and joined Shinichi on the bed. He cradled Shinichi’s head against his chest and pressed his fingers against Shinichi’s scalp.

“It’s not there anymore,” mumbled Shinichi, “Akako took care of it.”

“Just making sure.” Kaito kissed Shinichi’s forehead, “I never want you hurt.”

“I know.” Shinichi snuggled closer to Kaito, “But I’m okay now. I’m safe.”

Kaito tightened his hold over Shinichi before resting his chin atop his queen’s hair. He made sure that Shinichi fell asleep before closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohoho...hope you all enjoyed~ Look forward to the next update (Whenever that is)


	21. Here We Go Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof yeah it's been a hot minute since I updated. but here we are, together again for another update!
> 
> I've been a bit busy with work and school and some other stuff, but I'll do my best to finish this fic don't worry!
> 
> We're almost at the end ;)

The next day, Lord Shara didn’t force the randomized seating upon his guests. Shinichi was seated next to Kaito and the rest of his vassals on their own table. He blew on his oatmeal before taking a bite. Everyone was still high strung from the night before, judging from the tense air around the table. Saguru was rubbing his eyes while Akako was pressing against her temples.

“Are you two okay?” asked Shinichi, “You two don’t look so well.”

“This is nothing.” Saguru said as he returned to his food. “I patrolled during the night and barely got any rest. The usual.”

Akako closed her eyes and rested her head against the table. “Due to the mishap yesterday, Lord Shara put up a magic barrier that’s interfering with every magician’s senses,” Akako said groaning. She took two pills from her pocket and popped them into her mouth. “I feel awful.”

“I feel fine,” Kaito said while enjoying his breakfast, “You’re just whiny.”

Akako glared at the king as Shinichi elbowed him. It earned him a yelp and a pout.

“Shinichi, that hurt!”

“Next time, be more conscious of others.” Shinichi continued to eat his oatmeal while Kaito moped in his seat. The atmosphere became slightly lighter and the rest of breakfast went by peacefully. 

It was the afternoon when tensions began to rise once again.

“I-I’m sorry King Kuroba, but this is a meeting for other kings,” explained the servant, “Your Queen is not allowed to enter.”

“Well that’s stupid. Why not? Shinichi’s not going to bother anyone.” Kaito said with a firm hold around Shinichi’s waist. There was no way in hell that he would separate from the Queen after last night’s events. 

The servant gulped as he pointed towards another room, “The Queen may join the others in the adjacent parlor while you’re delegating.”

Kaito glared down at the trembling goblin servant. “Shinichi said he would rather not.”

Shinichi gave the servant a pitiful look. The poor goblin was just trying to do his job...but Kaito was too. It wasn’t an option to be separated right now. Shinichi shot Kaito a withering look, warning him to take it easy on the servant. Kaito only raised an eyebrow, as if the current treatment wasn’t as bad as it seemed. 

To the side, Saguru spoke up, “If there is no other option, then may I escort Queen Shinichi to the parlor with the other queens?”

The goblin servant quickly nodded, “Oh yes, the general may enter the Queens Parlor. Would that be alright with you King Kuroba?”

Kaito hummed in thought, “As much as I would rather not be separated from my dear Queen, I suppose I will have to relent.” Kaito reluctantly kissed Shinichi on the forehead, “Take care dear. Try to not to get too bored with the gossip. And don’t ditch it this time.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes, “Sure.” Saguru bowed at the king as Kaito went to join the other kings in their designated meeting room. Shinichi looked longingly at Kaito and Saguru patted him on the shoulder.

“This is only temporary,” murmured Saguru.

Shinichi snorted, his tail whipping Saguru lightly on the leg, “I know. Just make sure those other queens don’t tear me apart, okay?”

“Of course.”

* * *

 

An hour later, the procession of the queens attended. Shinichi made it out alive after revealing his and Kaito’s private schedule in exchange for being able to leave early. To be honest, Shinichi made up half of it, but if lying made those bloodthirsty witches happy…

Saguru and Shinichi exited the parlor and noticed that the kings delegation was still in progress. 

“I wonder what they talk about all day.” said Shinichi, “I mean, Kaito did say it was pretty pointless.”

“I’m not interested in politics unless it involves our own nation.” Saguru said with a shrug. The two began to walk down the hallway towards the guest rooms. 

As they passed where they were attacked last night, Shinichi edged closer to Saguru. Saguru noticed and kept a firm hand on the hilt of his sword. 

“I don’t sense anyone this time,” whispered Saguru.

“I can’t either,” murmured Shinichi, “but it could be due to the magic barrier. Keep your guard up Saguru.”

“Always.”

* * *

 

The sun was setting by the time they arrived at the king and queen’s room. 

“I’ll stand guard outside,” Saguru said with a bow.

Shinichi nodded, “Alright then Saguru, I’m counting on you. But also, rest when you need to. I know you’re still tired from yesterday.

“There’s no need to worry about me.” Saguru said with a small smile. “Rest well my queen.” 

With a final wave, Shinichi entered his room. The door shut with a resounding click and Shinichi flopped onto the four poster bed. 

“Ahhh, finally...time to sleep.” Shinichi rubbed his face onto the soft pillows. Who cares that he was still wearing his formal clothing? Maybe after a nap he could change--

There was a small laugh in the room. Shinichi instantly looked up and saw a figure towards the other side of the room. As he was about to open his mouth to yell for Saguru, a hand covered his mouth and a cold, metal chain was wrapped around his chest. A bag was placed over his head and Shinichi couldn’t see anymore. The sound of the window latch being opened and the gust of wind alerted Shinichi to how they entered the room. If only there was some way to leave a message for the king. 

“Please calm down Queen Shinichi, we just have a few questions for you.”

Shinichi knew instantly who the voice belonged to. If he was able to move, he would’ve struggled out of the grip of whoever the hell was carrying him, but it seems that the chain around his body was sealing his movements. Shinichi settled for growling.

“That’s not how a queen should act. Oh, well I suppose you’re not really a queen anyway. Come come, let’s take him to the tower before the general or witch notice.”

Shinichi felt cold air wrap around his body as well as the sensation of being pulled upwards. Alright, he was going up...that could be useful for later. Judging from the steady hold over his middle, they were being levitated upwards, but now they were going more westward. Were there any buildings in this area? How far were they taking Shinichi? 

The coldness gradually disappeared and now they were back in room temperature. Shinichi was tossed onto the hard floor, his back taking most of the damage. He sat up only for a boot to kick him back down onto the ground.

“Hold on a moment there queenie, bossman hasn’t climbed up yet.”

Shinichi gritted his teeth. It wasn’t the familiar voice, it was foreign to him. The accent gave it away. 

The sounds of footsteps echoed closer and the door clicked. The steps came closer and they stopped in front of Shinichi. Someone pulled the bag off of Shinichi’s head and Shinichi glared at the figure in front of him.

“Lord Shara, you better have a good explanation to what is happening here.”

The lord of the castle smirked, his golden eyes gleamed with mischief. “I was just taking back what was rightfully mine.”

“Yours?” Shinichi scoffed, “I’ve only met you twice in my life. Don’t tell me your some obsessed stalker.”

“Oh no no no, not at all. Like I said, you rightfully belong to me.” Shara said. He knelt down to look directly at Shinichi’s eyes. “It’s a shame I didn’t get to touch you first. Now you have that scornful man’s face...what a narcissist.”

Shinichi’s blood ran cold. “H-How did you…?”

“Hmm? How do I know what species you are?” Shara mockingly laughed, “I was the one who retrieved you from your village. Ripe for the picking. I even hid you in the most remote place as possible. How that damned king found you is beyond me, but here we are.” Shara stroked Shinichi’s cheek, “Together once again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mean, it was pretty obvious imo.
> 
> Yeah this was pretty short, but I hope everyone enjoys the road to the conclusion!

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to leave a kudos/comment :) It would mean a lot!


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